Does pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy associate with long-term survival in esophageal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) combined with surgery has emerged as a crucial therapeutic approach for locally advanced esophageal cancer. However, the effectiveness of pathological complete response (pCR) as a short-term surrogate endpoint remains unclear. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether pCR significantly influences the long-term survival of patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer following NCRT combined with surgery.

Methods

A systematic literature search was conducted in February 2024. The inclusion criteria encompassed resectable esophageal cancer cases that had received preoperative chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or chemoradiotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment. Random-effects or fixed-effects model was applied, and heterogeneity

SUBMITTER: Sun J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12269192 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature