Long-Term Survival After Esophagectomy for Early Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Linxian, China

Background and Objectives: Linxian in Henan Province, China, has among the highest rates of esophageal cancer worldwide. Little is known about long-term survival after esophagectomy for early neoplastic lesions found during early detection screening. A long-term survival analysis was performed for 315 patients from Linxian who received esophagectomy for early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods: Cases that received esophagectomy for early ESCC were age-and gender-matched with two healthy controls, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed for both groups. Results: Ten-year survival was 77% for cases and 64% for controls, and this difference was not statistically significant (P - 0.33). There were no significant differences in survival based on age or gender (P > 0.05). Cases with ESCC in situ had significantly better survival than cases with invasive ESCC (P = 0.035). Conclusions: Survival of cases who received esophagectomy for early ESCC was not significantly different from survival of age-and gender-matched controls. Early intervention probably improved survival rates for these patients who otherwise would most likely have developed advanced esophageal carcinoma. Early screening and intervention are highly relevant in areas with a high risk of esophageal cancer such as Linxian, China. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011;104:176-180. (C) 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.