Background: The concept of oligo-recurrence has not been generally applied in esophageal cancer. This study aimed to determine the prognostic significance of the number of recurrences in esophageal cancer.
Methods: Patients with squamous cell carcinoma who underwent curative esophagectomy with R0 or R1 resection and who experienced a confirmed recurrence were included. The study included 321 eligible participants from March 2001 to December 2019. The relationship between the number of recurrences and post-recurrence survival was investigated.
Results: The mean age was 63.8±8.1 years, and the majority of the participants (97.5%) were men. The median time to recurrence was 10.7 months, and the median survival time after recurrence was 8.8 months. Multiple recurrences with simultaneous local, regional, and distant locations were common (38%). In terms of the number of recurrences, single recurrences were the most common (38.3%) and had the best post-recurrence survival rate (median, 17.1 months; p<0.001). Patients with 2 or 3 recurrences showed equivalent survival to each other and longer survival than those with 4 or more (median, 9.4 months; p<0.001). In the multivariable analysis, the significant predictors of post-recurrence survival were body mass index, minimally invasive esophagectomy, N stage, R0 resection, post-recurrence treatment, and the number of recurrences (p<0.05).
Conclusion: After esophagectomy, the number of recurrences was the most significant risk factor influencing post-recurrence survival in patients with esophageal cancer. In esophageal cancer, oligo-recurrence can be defined as a recurrence with three or fewer metastases. More intensive treatment might be recommended if oligo-recurrence occurs.
Keywords: Esophageal neoplasms; Metastases; Recurrence; Survival.