Resection for oesophageal cancer - complications and survival

BACKGROUND Surgery is considered necessary to achieve a cure for oesophageal cancer. Minimally invasive oesophageal resection is increasingly performed with the aim of reducing the number of complications compared with open surgery. The purpose of this study was to investigate postoperative complications, mortality and long-term survival following hybrid oesophageal resection by laparoscopy and thoracotomy.MATERIAL AND METHOD Patients with oesophageal cancer who underwent hybrid resection with curative intent at Oslo University Hospital Ullevål from 1 November 2007 to 1 June 2013 were included (n = 109). Complications were graded according to the Clavien-Dindo classification and survival figures were recorded.RESULTS Median age was 65 years, 79 % were men. Altogether 118 complications were recorded in 70 patients (64.2 %). Distribution of complications was 1.8 % for stage I, 29.4 % for stage II, 22.1 % for stage III and 11.0 % for stage IV. Anastomotic leakage occurred in 4.6 %. There was no postoperative mortality. The proportion of R0 resections with microscopic radicality was 91 % (n = 100). For the entire patient population, the estimated 5-year survival rate was 48 % (95 % CI 36 - 60 %), for R0 resection 51 % (38 - 63 %) and for R1-2 resection 0 %. Estimated median survival with R0-2, R0 and R1-2 resection was 55, 55 and 10 months (0 - 28 months), respectively. R status and stage had a significant bearing on survival.INTERPRETATION There was a low percentage of serious complications, no mortality and few anastomotic leakages after hybrid resection for oesophageal cancer. The 5-year survival rate was good.