Long‐term outcomes of 530 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with minimally invasive Ivor Lewis esophagectomy

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The short-term benefits of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) Ivor Lewis were proved, but 6-year outcomes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients remain unclear. We sought to investigate perioperative outcomes, quality of life (QOL), survival and impact of adjuvant therapy in ESCC patients who underwent MIE Ivor Lewis. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 530 ESCC patients treated with MIE Ivor Lewis from 2011 to 2016. Relevant variables were collected and assessed. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier or Cox proportional hazards modeling. RESULTS: Median operation duration was 266 min. The median number of lymph nodes was 28. The 30-day postoperative mortality was 1.7%. At a median follow-up of 41 months, the 6-year OS and DFS were 44.7% and 46.1%. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy offered survival advantages in advanced stage patients. Pathological tumor-node-metastasis stage, postoperative complications, and recurrent laryngeal nerve lymphadenectomy were independent prognostic factors based on multivariate analysis. Generalized estimating equation analysis showed a rapid postoperative QOL improvement. CONCLUSIONS: MIE Ivor Lewis is a safe and feasible procedure in ESCC patients. It offers satisfactory perioperative outcomes, rapid QOL improvement, and acceptable long-term oncologic survival. Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy may improve OS and DFS in advanced stage patients.