Esophageal cancer with cirrhosis of the liver: results of esophagectomy in 18 consecutive patients.

Abstract

Patients with cirrhosis of the liver sometimes are candidates for esophagectomy with extensive lymphadenectomy. Of 271 patients with primary esophageal carcinoma, 19 patients (7.0%) had pathologically proven cirrhosis of the liver. Among those, 18 patients underwent esophagectomy with extensive lymph node dissection. Clinicopathologic characteristics of these 18 patients were retrospectively investigated. Pathological T stages were pT1 in 3 patients, pT2 in 9 patients, pT3 in 2 patients, and pT4 in 4 patients. Hepatitis C virus antibody was positive in 1 patient, and 14 patients were alcoholics. Three patients had cryptogenic cirrhosis. Seven patients were classified as Child-Turcotte B and 11 were Child-Turcotte A. Three patients had ICG-R 15 over 30%. Fifteen patients (83.3%) developed a total of 35 postoperative complications. Three patients currently are alive without recurrence. Fifteen patients have died: 7 from cancer recurrence; 5 of causes unrelated to esophageal cancer; and 3 of operative death (operative mortality: 16.7% in 18 cirrhotic patients vs. 5.7% in 227 non-cirrhotic patients; P = .102). The 1- and 3-year survival rates for 18 resected cirrhotic patients were 50% and 21%, respectively, and those for 227 resected non-cirrhotic patients were 67% and 42%, respectively (P = .051). When operative deaths were excluded from the analysis, the 1- and 3-year survival rates for 15 cirrhotic patients were 60% and 25%, respectively, whereas those for 214 non-cirrhotic patients were 68% and 43%, respectively (P = .271). Although cirrhosis has a high morbidity and mortality rate, Child-Turcotte A and B cirrhosis may not contraindicate curative esophagectomy for esophageal carcinoma. However, these patients need meticulous perioperative care to avoid postoperative complications.