Clinical implications of endoscopic ultrasonography non-traversability in patients with locoregional esophageal cancer receiving multimodality therapy.

Background/aims: Approximately 30% of esophageal cancer (EC) patients cannot complete endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) due to malignant stricture (EUS non-traversability). This study examines clinical implications of EUS non-traversability in patients with advanced locoregional squamous EC receiving preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by esophagectomy.
Methods: We retrieved data on 89 consecutive patients with advanced locoregional squamous EC (stage II or III). Relevant clinical and tumor-specific parameters were reviewed retrospectively. Significant factors affecting survival was determined by Cox regression analysis.
Results: EUS non-traversable EC was observed in 26 of 89 patients (29.2%). Median serum albumin level (3.6 g/dL vs. 3.9 g/dL, p = 0.028), tumor length (6.0 cm vs. 4.0 cm, p = 0.002), and percentage of clinical stage III disease (65.4% vs. 38.1%, p = 0.019) were significantly different between the patients with EUS non-traversable and traversable EC, respectively. Patients with EUS non-traversable EC demonstrated a significantly lower 5-year overall survival than patients with EUS traversable EC (30.8% vs. 49.3%, p = 0.023). In multivariate analysis, weight loss ≥ 10% ( p = 0.033), EUS non-traversability ( p = 0.003), non-response to preoperative CRT ( p = 0.002), and incompletion of esophagectomy ( p = 0.002) were significant negative factors of survival.
Conclusions: EUS non-traversability has significant negative prognostic implications in patients with advanced locoregional squamous EC receiving preoperative CRT followed by esophagectomy.