Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Prediction of hematogenous recurrence in patients with esophageal carcinoma

  • Published:
The Japanese Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives: Despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment of esophageal carcinoma, the future risk of hematogenous recurrence is still unpredictable. To identify risk factors of hematogenous recurrence in esophageal carcinoma, we used pathological and immunohistochemical analysis to examine relationships among clinical outcomes, clinicopathological features, and E-cadherin expression.Methods: Subjects were 102 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who had undergone curative esophagectomy without preoperative treatment. We used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship among clinical outcomes, clinicopathological features, and E-cadherin expression.Results: There was no significant relationship between E-cadherin expression and clinicopathological features at operation. However, the survival rates of patients with E-cadherin-negative tumors were significantly lower than those of patients with E-cadherin-weak and E-cadherin-positive tumors (P<0.01). Disease recurrence had occurred in 49 (48.0%), with hematogenous recurrence in 29 (28.4%), of the 102 patients at the time of analysis. Metastasis occurred in liver in 14 patients, lung in 13, bone in 6, and brain in 2. Comparisons of hematogenous recurrences and clinicopathological features by multivariate regression analyses revealed significant associations between hematogenous recurrences; particularly in liver and lung metastasis and negative E-cadherin expression. With regard to the associations between the organ with the recurrence and the number of positive nodes; hematogenous recurrence, equal to or higher than lymphatic recurrence, was more likely to have occurred in patients with high numbers of positive nodes. Interestingly, with regard to the sites of positive nodes, liver metastasis was closely correlated with lymph node metastasis in the mid-thoracic as opposed to the abdominal region. Further, lung metastasis was most likely to occur in patients with cervical lymph node metastasis.Conclusions: Esophageal carcinoma with negative E-cadherin expression tended to be associated with hematogenous recurrence, particularly with liver and lung metastasis. Hematogenous recurrences were significantly associated with high numbers and the site of positive nodes, as well as with lymphatic recurrence.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kuwano H, Watanabe M, Sadanaga N, Kamakura T, Nozoe T, Yasuda M, et al. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the prognostic significance of discontinuous intramural metastasis in patients with esophageal cancer. J Surg Oncol 1994; 57: 17–21.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Kuwano H, Masuda N, Kato H, Sugimachi K. The subepithelial extension of esophageal carcinoma for determining the resection margin during esophagectomy: A serial histopathologic investigation. Surgery 2002; 131: 14–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Araki K, Ohno S, Egashira A, Saeki H, Kawaguchi H, Sugimachi K. Pathologic features of superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with lymph node and distal metastasis. Cancer 2002; 94: 570–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Altorki N, Kent M, Ferrara C, Port J. Three-field lymph node dissection for squamous cell and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus. Ann Surg 2002; 236: 177–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Watanabe H, Kato H, Tachinori Y. Significance of extended systemic lymph node dissection for thoracic esophageal carcinoma in Japan. Recent Results Cancer Res 2000; 155: 123–33.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tabira Y, Yasunaga M, Sakaguchi T, Nagamoto N, Ogi S, Kitamura N. Predicting initial recurrence pattern of esophageal cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Hepatogastroenterology 2000; 47: 1315–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kato H, Tachimori Y, Watanabe H, Igaki H, Nakanishi Y, Ochiai A. Recurrent esophageal carcinoma after esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection. J Surg Oncol 1996; 61: 267–72.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Fujita H, Kakegawa T, Yamana H, Shima I, Tanaka H, Ikeda S, et al. Lymph node metastasis and recurrence in patients with a carcinoma of the tho racic esophagus who underwent three-field dissection. World J Surg 1994; 18: 266–72.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. van Lanschot JJ, Tilanus HW, Voormolen MH, van Deelen RA. Recurrence pattern of oesophageal carcinoma after limited resection does not support wide local excision with extensive lymph node dissection. Br J Surg 1994; 81: 1320–3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Fahn HJ, Wang LS, Huang BS, Huang MH, Chien KY. Tumor recurrence in long-term survivors after treatment of carcinoma of the esophagus. Ann Thorac Surg 1994; 57: 677–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Bhansali MS, Fujita H, Kakegawa T, Yamana H, Ono T, Hikita S, et al. Pattern of recurrence after extended radical esophagectomy with three-field lymph node dissection for squamous cell carcinoma in the thoracic esophagus. World J Surg 1997; 21: 275–81.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Makino T, Shimada Y, Maeda M, Komoto I, Imamura M. Carbohydrate antigens as a risk factor for hematogenous recurrence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients. Oncol Rep 2001; 8: 981–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Tamura S, Shiozaki H, Miyata M, Kadowaki T, Inoue M, Matsui, S, et al. Decreased E-cadherin expression is associated with haematogenous recurrence and poor prognosis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. Br J Surg 1996; 83: 1608–14.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Ogawa K, Toita T, Sueyama H, Fuwa N, Kakinohana Y, Kamata M, et al. Brain metastases from esophageal carcinoma: Natural history, prognostic factors, and outcome. Cancer 2002; 94: 759–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Japanese Society for Esophageal Diseases. Guidelines for the clinical and pathological studies on carcinoma of the esophagus. The 9th edition. Tokyo: Kanehara, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Shimada Y, Imamura M, Watanabe G, Uchida S, Harada H, Makino T, et al. Prognostic factors of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma from the perspective of molecular biology. Br J Cancer 1999; 80: 1281–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Malassagne B, Tiret E, Duprez D, Coste J, de Sigalony JP, Parc R. Prognostic value of thoracic recurrent nerve nodal involvement in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Am Coll Surg 1997; 185: 244–9.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Roder JD, Busch R, Stein HJ, Fink U, Siewert JR. Ratio of invaded to removed lymph nodes as a predictor of survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus. Br J Surg 1994; 81: 410–3.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Skinner DB, Little AG, Ferguson MK, Soriano A, Staszak VM. Selection of operation for esophageal cancer based on staging. Ann Surg 1986; 204: 391–401.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Shimoyama Y, Hirohashi S. Expression of E- and P-cadherin in gastric carcinomas. Cancer Res 1991; 51: 2185–92.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Shimoyama Y, Hirohashi S, Hirano S, Noguchi M, Shimosato Y, Takeichi M, et al. Cadherin cell-adhesion molecules in human epithelial tissues and carcinomas. Cancer Res 1989; 49: 2128–33.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Oka H, Shiozaki H, Kobayashi K, Inoue M, Tahara H, Kobayashi T, et al. Expression of E-cadherin cell adhesion molecules in human breast cancer tissues and its relationship to metastasis. Cancer Res 1993; 53: 1696–701.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Kadowaki T, Shiozaki H, Inoue M, Tamura S, Oka H, Doki Y, et al. E-cadherin and alpha-catenin expression in human esophageal cancer. Cancer Res 1994; 54: 291–6.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Nakanishi Y, Ochiai A, Akimoto S, Kato H, Watanabe H, Tachimori Y, et al. Expression of E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin and plakoglobin in esophageal carcinomas and its prognostic significance: Immunohistochemical analysis of 96 lesions. Oncology 1997; 54: 158–65.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Shiozaki H, Doki Y, Yamana H, Isono K. A multi-institutional study of immunohistochemical investigation for the roles of cyclin D1 and E-cadherin in superficial squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. J Surg Oncol 2002; 79: 166–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Schipper JH, Frixen UH, Behrens J, Unger A, Jahnke K, Birchmeier W. E-cadherin expression in squamous cell carcinomas of head and neck: Inverse correlation with tumor dedifferentiation and lymph node metastasis. Cancer Res 1991; 51: 6328–37.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Mayer B, Johnson JP, Leitl F, Jauch KW, Heiss MM, Schildberg FW, et al. E-cadherin expression in primary and metastatic gastric cancer: Down-regulation correlates with cellular dedifferentiation and glandular disintegration. Cancer Res 1993; 53: 1690–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Bringuier PP, Umbas R, Schaafsma HE, Karthaus HF, Debruyne FM, Schalken JA. Decreased E-cadherin immunoreactivity correlates with poor survival in patients with bladder tumors. Cancer Res 1993; 53: 3241–5.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Umbas R, Isaacs WB, Bringuier PP, Schaafsma HE, Karthaus HF, Oosterhof GO, et al. Decreased E-cadherin expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with prostate cancer. Cancer Res 1994; 54: 3929–33.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Mattijssen V, Peters HM, Schalkwijk L, Manni JJ, van't Hof-Grootenboer B, de Mulder PH, et al. E-cadherin expression in head and neck squamous-cell carcinoma is associated with clinical outcome. Int J Cancer 1993; 55: 580–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Read at the Fifty-fifth Annual Meeting of The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery, Symposium, Fukuoka, October 9–11, 2002.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kato, H., Miyazaki, T., Nakajima, M. et al. Prediction of hematogenous recurrence in patients with esophageal carcinoma. Jpn J Thorac Caridovasc Surg 51, 599–608 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02736700

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02736700

Key words

Navigation