Exploring the Optimal Timing of Minimally Invasive Surgery for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy

background：Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy has gradually become a first-line treatment for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. After the completion of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, patients usually undergo minimally invasive surgery to ensure complete removal of the tumor and lymphatic tissue. However, the optimal interval between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and minimally invasive surgery is still an unknown factor, and whether it affects postoperative disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients remains unknown. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to explore the specific impact of the interval between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and minimally invasive surgery on patients, and to find the optimal interval time.

methods：Patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and minimally invasive surgery from two institutions between October 2010 and September 2019 were included in this study. The time interval is defined as the days between the last time a patient receives neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and the execution of surgery. Based on past research, the interval between the two groups was determined to be 50 days. The main research result is the OS and DFS of different interval groups in the overall population and non-PCR population. A multivariate Cox regression model was established to determine the main factors affecting Patient's OS and DFS.