Pre-operative predictive factors of early recurrence after resection of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and cardia

Objectives: To determine pre-operative predictive factors of early recurrence in patients with esophageal and cordial adenocarcinoma. Patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients who underwent resection for esophageal and cardial adenocarcinoma in our institution between October 1992 and October 2001. Patient files were studied and classified according to the occurrence of early recurrence (within one year) (group A) and patients without recurrence (group B). Pre-operative clinical, biological and radiological parameters were recorded. Both groups were compared in univariate and multivariate analysis. Results: One hundred patients underwent surgical resection. Tumor was located in lower esophagus in 71 cases and at the cardia in 29 cases. R0 resection was feasible in 95 cases. Hospital mortality was 2%. Survival rate at 3 years was 56%. Recurrence before 1 year occurred in 28 patients (group A) and not in 72 (group B). In univariate analysis, younger age (P = 0.01), dysphagia (P = 0.04) and percentage of weight loss (P < 0.0004) were significantly different between both groups. Weight loss more than 10% was observed in 2 patients of group B, and in 9 patients of group A. In multivariate analysis, weight loss more than 10% was the only pre-operative factor associated with early recurrence (P = 0.018). Conclusion: Important weight loss could be a pre-operative predictive factor of early recurrence after resection of esophageal and cordial adenocarcinoma and surgery as first line treatment could be avoided in these patients.