Prognostic Significance of Circumferential Radial Margin in Esophageal Cancer Resection

Examining esophagectomy outcomes for pathologic T3 esophageal cancer (n=519, 2000–2019), researchers categorized patients based on circumferential radial margin (CRM) involvement. CRM+ (tumor at CRM) correlated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to CRM-. CRM-close (tumor >0 to 1 mm from CRM) showed similar outcomes to CRM-. After adjustments, College of American Pathologists (CAP)+ was linked to poorer outcomes, while Royal College of Pathologists (RCP)+ was not. CRM status proves critical for prognosis, emphasizing its significance in esophageal cancer surgery.