The Feasibility and Promising Results of Conversion Surgery for Esophageal Cancer with Distant Metastasis

A multi-institutional retrospective study investigated the clinical impact of conversion surgery for esophageal cancer with synchronous distant metastasis after induction therapy. Out of the 66 enrolled patients, distant lymph node metastasis occurred in 77%, while distant organ metastasis occurred in 23%. The study found that conversion surgery after chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy is feasible and may significantly improve long-term prognosis, particularly for patients with controlled nodal status. Pathologic nodal status was identified as an independent predictor of poor prognosis.