• In a study of 541 patients with esophageal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy, complications like pneumonia and anastomotic leakage showed no significant effect on overall survival across treatment arms.
• The shift from open to thoracoscopic esophagectomy reduced the prognostic impact of complications, with hazard ratios for overall survival decreasing significantly.

Minimally invasive techniques may enhance patient outcomes by mitigating the risks associated with complications.

• Intensified neoadjuvant therapy may further support this positive trend.