Survival analysis of small cell carcinoma of the esophagus: a 15-year retrospective study from a high-incidence region
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Small cell carcinoma of the esophagus (SCCE) is a rare malignant carcinoma, which is highly aggressive and prone to recurrence and metastasis. There is no standard therapeutic modality for SCCE. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of SCCE, analyse its prognostic factors, and provide a reference for establishing a standard treatment regimen. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 156 consecutive patients with SCCE, who received treatment at Fujian Cancer Hospital between 2007 and 2022. We finally included 140 patients in the analysis. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); the key secondary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Multivariate Cox regression survival analysis was conducted to identify the independent prognostic factors. Subgroup analysis included treatment modalities used to patients with limited stage SCCE (LS-SCCE). Results: The median OS was 24.0 [95% confidence interval (CI): 19.391-28.609] months and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 79.3%, 20.0%, and 9.3%, respectively. The multivariate Cox analysis suggested that chemotherapy was an independent prognostic factor [hazard ratio (HR) 0.519; 95% CI: 0.271-0.992; P=0.047]. In subgroup analysis for patients with LS-SCCE, the median OS was 26 months for patients receiving surgery-based multimodal therapy [surgery (S) ± chemotherapy (CT) ± radiotherapy (RT)] compared to 31 months for those receiving definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) (P=0.97). There was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: Our results suggest that CRT might be an effective first-line treatment for LS-SCCE and is not inferior to surgery. The conclusions are expected to provide a reference for the standardised treatment of SCCE.
Authors: Wei Zhang, Jie Yuan, Baihua Yang, Jiezhong Wang, Mingqiu Chen
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7117456208
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