Pathological complete response enhances survival in esophageal cancer.

A recent meta-analysis indicates that pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy significantly improves long-term survival outcomes in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer undergoing surgery. Findings from 38 included studies revealed a hazard ratio of 0.54 for overall survival and 0.51 for disease-free survival among those achieving pCR. Subgroup analyses showed even greater benefits based on histology, suggesting pCR could serve as a valuable surrogate endpoint for evaluating treatment efficacy.