Current status of prognostic evaluation of esophageal cancer patients by circumferential resection margin

Abstract

Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide due to its high malignancy and poor prognosis. In recent decades, the applications of new technologies, devices and neoadjuvant therapy lead to the great progress in the diagnosis and treatment of esophageal cancer. However, the five-year survival rate of esophageal cancer remains unsatisfied. Clinical and pathological factors such as the primary tumor (T), regional lymph nodes (N) and distant metastasis (M) and the longitudinal margins of esophageal lesions, lymphatic invasion, peripheral nerve invasion have been identified as important predictors of the prognosis of esophageal cancer. However, the effect of circumferential resection margin on the prognosis evaluation of esophageal cancer is still controversial, and no definite identification of circumferential resection margin of esophageal cancer has been acknowledged worldwide. Therefore, the studies of circumferential resection margin involvement in predicting the prognosis of esophageal cancer are reviewed.