Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • Global Health Postdoctoral Affiliate, Center for Innovation and Global Health (2023 - Present)

Stanford Advisors


All Publications


  • Lepidic-Type Lung Adenocarcinomas: Is It Safe to Observe for Growth Prior to Treating? The Annals of thoracic surgery Wong, L. Y., Elliott, I. A., Liou, D. Z., Backhus, L. M., Lui, N. S., Shrager, J. B., Berry, M. F. 2024

    Abstract

    Lepidic-type adenocarcinomas (LPA) can be multi-focal, and treatment is often deferred until there is observed growth. This study investigated the potential downside of that strategy by evaluating the relationship of nodal involvement with tumor size and survival.The impact of tumor size on lymph node involvement and survival was evaluated for National Cancer Database patients who received surgery without induction therapy as primary treatment for cT1-3N0M0 histologically confirmed LPA from 2006-2019 using logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox analyses.Positive nodes occurred in 442 (5.3%) of 8,286 patients. The incidence of having positive nodes approximately doubled with each 1cm increment increase in size. Patients with positive nodes were more likely to have larger tumors (27mm vs 20mm,p<0.001) and clinical T2+ disease (40.7% vs 26.8%,p<0.001) compared to node-negative patients, but tumor size was the only significant independent predictor of having positive nodal disease in logistic regression analysis; this association grew stronger with each incremental centimeter increase in size. Patients with positive nodes were more likely to undergo adjuvant radiation (23.5% vs 1.1%,p<0.001) and chemotherapy (72.9% vs 7.9%,p<0.001), and expectedly had worse survival compared to the node negative group in univariate (5-year overall survival 50.9% vs 81.1%,p<0.001) and multivariable (Hazard ratio 2.56 [95% CI 2.14-3.05],p<0.001) analyses.Nodal involvement is relatively uncommon in early-stage LPAs but steadily increases with tumor size and is associated with dramatically worse survival. This data can be used to inform treatment decisions when evaluating LPA patients.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2024.03.003

    View details for PubMedID 38490310

  • Outcomes of surgery for catastrophic hiatal hernia presentations. Journal of gastrointestinal surgery : official journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract Wong, L., Leipzig, M., Elliott, I. A., Liou, D. Z., Backhus, L. M., Shrager, J. B., Berry, M. F. 2024; 28 (3): 285-286

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.gassur.2023.12.024

    View details for PubMedID 38445922

  • The Impact of Immunotherapy Use in Stage IIIA (T1-2N2) NSCLC: A Nationwide Analysis. JTO clinical and research reports Wong, L. Y., Liou, D. Z., Roy, M., Elliott, I. A., Backhus, L. M., Lui, N. S., Shrager, J. B., Berry, M. F. 2024; 5 (3): 100654

    Abstract

    Multiple clinical trials have revealed the benefit of immunotherapy (IO) for NSCLC, including unresectable stage III disease. Our aim was to investigate the impact of IO use on treatment and outcomes of potentially resectable stage IIIA NSCLC in a broader nationwide patient cohort.We queried the National Cancer Database (2004-2019) for patients with stage IIIA (T1-2N2) NSCLC. Treatment and survival were evaluated with descriptive statistics, logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox proportional hazards modeling.Overall, 5.5% (3777 of 68,335) of patients received IO. IO use was uncommon until 2017, but by 2019, it was given to 40.1% (1544 of 2308) of stage IIIA patients. The increased use of IO after 2017 was associated with increased definitive chemoradiation treatment (54.2% [6800 of 12,535] from years 2017 to 2019 versus 46.9% [26,251 of 55,914] from 2004 to 2016, p < 0.001) and less use of surgery (18.1% [2266 of 12,535] from years 2017 to 2019 versus 22.0% [12,300 of 55,914] from 2004 to 2016, p < 0.001). IO treatment was associated with significantly better 5-year survival in the entire cohort (36.9% versus 23.4%, p < 0.001) and the subsets of patients treated with chemoradiation (37.2% versus 22.7%, p < 0.001) and surgery (48.6% versus 44.3%, p < 0.001). Pneumonectomy use decreased with increased IO treatment (5.1% of surgical patients [116 of 2266] from years 2017 to 2019 versus 9.2% [1127 of 12,300] from 2004 to 2016, p < 0.001).Increased use of IO was associated with a change in treatment patterns and improved survival for patients with stage IIIA(N2) NSCLC.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jtocrr.2024.100654

    View details for PubMedID 38496376

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10941003

  • Surgical revision of the postesophagectomy gastric conduit to address poor emptying. JTCVS techniques Wong, L., Rivera, M. F., Liou, D. Z., Berry, M. F. 2024; 23: 132-140

    Abstract

    Introduction: The configuration of the gastric conduit after esophagectomy can lead to chronic gastrointestinal and respiratory issues. Surgical revision of the gastric conduit has been described in small series but appears to be infrequently used. We investigated outcomes of revising dilated or redundant conduit in patients with severe quality-of-life issues.Methods: We identified all patients from 2016 to 2022 at our institution who underwent gastric conduit revision after previous esophagectomy either at our or another institution. Chart review was performed to assess prerevision course and perioperative outcomes. Pre- and postrevision imaging was compared for all patients to assess the impact of surgery on anatomic configuration. Patient-reported gastrointestinal and respiratory issues before and after surgery were examined.Results: The use of right thoracotomy combined with laparotomy to reduce redundancy and improve gastric emptying was performed in 8 patients. The symptoms necessitating reoperation included intolerance to oral intake and poor gastric emptying associated with both acute and chronic aspiration episodes. The median length of stay was 8 [4, 25] days, and there were no perioperative mortalities. Seven (87.5%) patients were tolerating oral intake at discharge. All patients had improvement in their prerevision symptoms on follow-up.Conclusions: Gastric conduit revision can improve severe postesophagectomy gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms in patients with dilated/redundant conduits with limited perioperative morbidity.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.xjtc.2023.11.006

    View details for PubMedID 38351992

  • Risk of developing subsequent primary lung cancer after receiving radiation for breast cancer. JTCVS open Wong, L., Kapula, N., He, H., Guenthart, B. A., Vitzthum, L. K., Horst, K., Liou, D. Z., Backhus, L. M., Lui, N. S., Berry, M. F., Shrager, J. B., Elliott, I. A. 2023; 16: 919-928

    Abstract

    Background: Radiotherapy (RT) is integral to breast cancer treatment, especially in the current era that emphasizes breast conservation. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of subsequent primary lung cancer after RT exposure for breast cancer over a time span of 3decades to quantify this risk over time as modern oncologic treatment continues to evolve.Methods: The SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database was queried from 1988 to 2014 for patients diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer. Patients who subsequently developed primary lung cancer were identified. Multivariable regression modeling was performed to identify independent factors associated with the development of lung cancer stratified by follow up intervals of 5 to 9years, 10 to 15years, and >15years after breast cancer diagnosis.Results: Of the 612,746 patients who met our inclusion criteria, 319,014 (52%) were irradiated. primary lung cancer developed in 5556 patients (1.74%) in the RT group versus 4935 patients (1.68%) in the non-RT group. In a multivariable model stratified by follow-up duration, the overall HR of developing subsequent ipsilateral lung cancer in the RT group was 1.14 (P=.036) after 5 to 9years of follow-up, 1.28 (P=.002) after 10 to 15years of follow-up, and 1.30 (P=.014) after >15years of follow-up. The HR of contralateral lung cancer was not increased at any time interval.Conclusions: The increased risk of developing a primary lung cancer secondary to RT exposure for breast cancer is much lower than previously published. Modern RT techniques may have contributed to the improved risk profile, and this updated study is important for counseling and surveillance of breast cancer patients.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.xjon.2023.10.031

    View details for PubMedID 38204675

  • The impact of refusing esophagectomy for treatment of locally advanced esophageal adenocarcinoma. JTCVS open Wong, L., Elliott, I. A., Liou, D. Z., Backhus, L. M., Lui, N. S., Shrager, J. B., Berry, M. F. 2023; 16: 987-995

    Abstract

    Objective: Patients with esophageal cancer may be reluctant to proceed with surgery due to high complication rates. This study aims to compare outcomes between eligible surgical candidates who proceeded with surgery versus those who refused surgery.Methods: Characteristics and survival of patients with locally advanced (cT3N0M0, cT1-3N+M0) mid-/distal esophageal adenocarcinoma in the National Cancer Database (2006-2019) who either proceeded with or refused surgery after chemoradiotherapy were evaluated with logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier curves, and Cox proportional hazards methods.Results: Of the 13,594 patients included in the analysis, 595 (4.4%) patients refused esophagectomy. Patients who refused surgery were older, had less distance to travel to their treatment facility, were more likely to have cN0 disease, and were more likely to be treated at a community rather than academic or integrated network program, but did not have significantly different comorbid disease distributions. On multivariable analysis, refusing surgery was independently associated with older age, uninsured, lower income, less distance to a hospital, and treatment in a community program versus an academic/research or integrated network program. Esophagectomy was associated with better survival (5-year survival 40.1% [39.2-41] vs 23.6% [19.9-27.9], P<.001) and was also independently associated with better survival in the Cox model (hazard rate, 0.78 [95% confidence interval, 0.7-0.87], P<.001).Conclusions: The results of this study can inform selected patients with resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma that their survival will be significantly diminished if surgery is not pursued. Many factors associated with refusing surgery are non-clinical and suggest that access to or support for care could influence patient decisions.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.xjon.2023.09.006

    View details for PubMedID 38204633

  • Usability of ENTRUST as an Assessment Tool for Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs): A Mixed Methods Analysis. Journal of surgical education Lee, M. C., Melcer, E. F., Merrell, S. B., Wong, L. Y., Shields, S., Eddington, H., Trickey, A. W., Tsai, J., Korndorffer, J. R., Lin, D. T., Liebert, C. A. 2023

    Abstract

    As the American Board of Surgery transitions to a competency-based model of surgical education centered upon entrustable professional activities (EPAs), there is a growing need for objective tools to determine readiness for entrustment. This study evaluates the usability of ENTRUST, an innovative virtual patient simulation platform to assess surgical trainees' decision-making skills in preoperative, intra-operative, and post-operative settings.This is a mixed-methods analysis of the usability of the ENTRUST platform. Quantitative data was collected using the system usability scale (SUS) and Likert responses. Analysis was performed with descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis, and multivariable linear regression. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses was performed using the Nielsen-Shneiderman Heuristics framework.This study was conducted at an academic institution in a proctored exam setting.The analysis includes n = 47 (PGY 1-5) surgical residents who completed an online usability survey following the ENTRUST Inguinal Hernia EPA Assessment.The ENTRUST platform had a median SUS score of 82.5. On bivariate and multivariate analyses, there were no significant differences between usability based on demographic characteristics (all p > 0.05), and SUS score was independent of ENTRUST performance (r = 0.198, p = 0.18). Most participants agreed that the clinical workup of the patient was engaging (91.5%) and felt realistic (85.1%). The most frequent heuristics represented in the qualitative analysis included feedback, visibility, match, and control. Additional themes of educational value, enjoyment, and ease-of-use highlighted participants' perspectives on the usability of ENTRUST.ENTRUST demonstrates high usability in this population. Usability was independent of ENTRUST score performance and there were no differences in usability identified in this analysis based on demographic subgroups. Qualitative analysis highlighted the acceptability of ENTRUST and will inform ongoing development of the platform. The ENTRUST platform holds potential as a tool for the assessment of EPAs in surgical residency programs.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.09.001

    View details for PubMedID 37821350

  • Achieving global surgical excellence: an evidence-based framework to guide surgical quality improvement programs in low and middle income countries. Frontiers in health services Henry, J. C., Wong, L. Y., Reyes, A. M., Jin, J. Z., Ferguson, M. K., Yip, C. H., Hill, A. 2023; 3: 1096144

    Abstract

    There is a lack of evidence-based guidelines for enhancing global surgical care delivery. We propose a set of recommendations to serve as a framework to guide surgical quality improvement and scale-up initiatives in low and middle income countries (LMICs).From January-December 2019, we reviewed the available literature and their application toward LMIC settings. The first initiative was the establishment of Best Practices Recommendations intended to summarize best-level evidence around quality improvement processes that have shown to decrease morbidity and mortality in LMICs. The GRADE level of evidence and strength of the recommendation were assigned in accordance with the WHO handbook for guidelines development. The second initiative was the scale-up of principles and practices by establishing international expert consensus on the optimal organization of surgical services in LMICs using a modified Delphi methodology.Recommendations for three topic areas were established: reducing surgical site infections, improving quality of trauma systems, and interventions to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality. 27 studies were included in a quantitative synthesis and meta-analysis for interventions reducing surgical site infections, 27 studies for interventions improving the quality of trauma systems, and 14 studies for interventions reducing maternal and perinatal mortality. Using Delphi methodology, an international expert panel established consensus that district hospitals should place the highest priority on developing surgical services for low complexity, high volume conditions. At the national level, emergency and essential surgical care should be integrated within national Universal Health Coverage frameworks.This project fills a critical cap in the rapidly developing field of global surgery: gathering evidence-based, practical, and cost-effective solutions that will serve as a guide for the efficient planning and allocation of resources necessary to promote quality and safe essential surgical services in LMICs.

    View details for DOI 10.3389/frhs.2023.1096144

    View details for PubMedID 37609518

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10441221

  • Intraoperative Molecular Imaging of Lung Cancer. Thoracic surgery clinics Wong, L., Lui, N. S. 2023; 33 (3): 227-232

    Abstract

    Intraoperative molecular imaging innovations have been propelled by the development of fluorescent contrast agents that specifically target tumor tissues and advanced camera systems that can detect the specified fluorescence. The most promising agent to date is OTL38, a targeted and near-infrared agent that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for intraoperative imaging for lung cancer.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.thorsurg.2023.04.013

    View details for PubMedID 37414478

  • The impact of neoadjuvant immunotherapy on perioperative outcomes and survival after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. JTCVS open Wong, L., Liou, D. Z., Backhus, L. M., Lui, N. S., Shrager, J. B., Berry, M. F. 2023; 14: 547-560

    Abstract

    Objective: Immunotherapy for esophageal cancer is relatively novel but increasingly used. This study evaluated the early use of immunotherapy as an adjunct to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy before esophagectomy for locally advanced disease.Methods: Perioperative morbidity (composite of mortality, hospitalization ≥21days, or readmission) and survival of patients with locally advanced (cT3N0M0, cT1-3N + M0) distal esophageal cancer in the National Cancer Database from 2013 to 2020 who underwent neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemoradiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy alone followed by esophagectomy were evaluated using logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox proportional hazards methods, and propensity-matched analysis.Results: Immunotherapy was used in 165 (1.6%) of 10,348 patients. Younger age (odds ratio, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.53-0.81; P<.001) predicted immunotherapy use, which slightly delayed time from diagnosis to surgery versus chemoradiation alone (immunotherapy 148 [interquartile range, 128-177] days vs chemoradiation 138 [interquartile range, 120-162] days, P<.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the immunotherapy and chemoradiation groups for the composite major morbidity index (14.5% [24/165] vs 15.6% [1584/10,183], P=.8). Immunotherapy was associated with a significant improvement in median overall survival (69.1months vs 56.3months, P=.005) and 3-year overall survival in univariate analysis (65.6% [95% confidence interval, 57.7-74.5] vs 55.0% [53.9-56.1], P=.005), and independently predicted improved survival in multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 0.68 [95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.89], P=.006). Propensity-matched analysis also showed that immunotherapy use was not associated with increased surgical morbidity (P=.5) but was associated with improved survival (P=.047).Conclusions: Neoadjuvant immunotherapy use before esophagectomy for locally advanced esophageal cancer did not lead to worse perioperative outcomes and shows promising results on midterm survival.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.xjon.2023.03.015

    View details for PubMedID 37425457

  • Surgical Management of Esophageal Perforation: Examining Trends in a Multi-Institutional Cohort. Journal of gastrointestinal surgery : official journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract Wong, L. Y., Leipzig, M., Liou, D. Z., Backhus, L. M., Lui, N. S., Shrager, J. B., Berry, M. F. 2023

    Abstract

    Esophageal perforations historically are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and generally require emergent intervention. The influence of improved diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available in recent years on management has not been examined. This study examined the surgical treatments and outcomes of a modern cohort.Patients with esophageal perforation management in the 2005-2020 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database were stratified into three eras (2005-2009, 2010-2014, and 2015-2020). Surgical management was classified as primary repair, resection, diversion, or drainage alone based on procedure codes. The distribution of procedure use, morbidity, and mortality across eras was examined.Surgical management of 378 identified patients was primary repair (n=193,51%), drainage (n=89,24%), resection (n=70,18%), and diversion (n=26,7%). Thirty-day mortality in the cohort was 9.5% (n=36/378) and 268 patients (71%) had at least one complication. The median length of stay was 15 days. Both morbidity (Era 1 65% [n=42/60] versus Era 2 69% [n=92/131] versus Era 3 72% [n=135/187], p=0.3) and mortality (Era 1 11% [n=7/65] versus Era 2 9% [n=12/131] versus Era 3 10% [n=19/187], p=0.9) did not change significantly over the three defined eras. Treatment over time evolved such that primary repair was more frequently utilized (43% in Era 1 to 51% in Era 3) while diversion was less often performed (13% in Era 1 to 7% in Era 3) (p=0.009).Esophageal perforation management in recent years uses diversion less often but remains associated with significant morbidity and mortality.

    View details for DOI 10.1007/s11605-023-05700-1

    View details for PubMedID 37165161

    View details for PubMedCentralID 7330325

  • Consequences of a Failed Nonoperative Approach in Paraesophageal Hernia Management. The Annals of thoracic surgery Wong, L. Y., Berry, M. F. 2023

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2023.03.020

    View details for PubMedID 36963646

  • ASO Visual Abstract: Impact of Delaying Surgery After Chemoradiation on Outcomes for Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Annals of surgical oncology Wong, L. Y., Liou, D. Z., Vitzthum, L. K., Backhus, L. M., Lui, N. S., Chang, D., Shrager, J. B., Berry, M. F. 2023

    View details for DOI 10.1245/s10434-023-13156-5

    View details for PubMedID 36759429

  • The Impact of Age and Need for Emergent Surgery in Paraesophageal Hernia Repair Outcomes. The Annals of thoracic surgery Wong, L. Y., Parsons, N., David, E. A., Burfeind, W., Berry, M. F. 2023

    Abstract

    Observation of paraesophageal hernias (PEH) may lead to emergent surgery for hernia-related complications. This study evaluated urgent/emergent repair outcomes to quantify the possible sequelae of failed conservative PEH management.The impact of operative status (Elective vs. Urgent/Emergent) on perioperative mortality or major morbidity for patients who underwent hiatal hernia repair for a paraesophageal hernia diagnosis from 2012-2021 in the Society of Thoracic Surgery General Thoracic Surgery Database was evaluated with multivariable logistic regression models.Overall, 2,082 (10.9%) of 19,122 PEH patients underwent Urgent/Emergent repair. Non-elective surgery patients were significantly older than elective surgery patients (median age 73 years [IQR 63-82] versus 66 [58-74]) and had a lower preoperative performance score (p<0.001). Non-elective surgeries were more likely to be done through the chest or via laparotomy rather than via laparoscopy (20% versus 11.4%, p<0.001) and were associated with longer hospitalizations (4 days vs 2, p<0.001), higher operative mortality (4.5% vs 0.6%, p<0.001), and higher major morbidity (27% versus 5.5%, p<0.001). Non-elective surgery was a significant independent predictor of major morbidity in multivariable analysis (odds ratio 2.06, p<0.001). Patients over the age of 80 had higher operative mortality (4.3% vs 0.6%, p<0.001) and major morbidity (19% vs 6.1%, p<0.001) than younger patients overall, and more often had non-elective surgery (26% vs 8.6%, p<0.001) CONCLUSIONS: The operative morbidity of PEH repair is significantly increased when surgery is non-elective, particularly for older patients. These results can inform the potential consequences of choosing watchful waiting versus elective PEH repair.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2023.01.017

    View details for PubMedID 36702291

  • ASO Author Reflections: Timing of Surgery and Chemoradiation for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Annals of surgical oncology Wong, L., Berry, M. F. 2023

    View details for DOI 10.1245/s10434-022-13048-0

    View details for PubMedID 36607525

  • Measurements of Surgical Volume in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, a Systematic Review. Annals of global health Shoyombo, I., Genetu, A., Wong, L., Elhadi, M., Twizeyimana, E., Gwini, G. P., William, R., Hall, T., Khalil, H., Sandrasagran, S. N., Langer, M. 2023; 89 (1): 70

    Abstract

    Background: Surgical volume is a surgical indicator that was described in the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) and the World Bank World Development Indicators as an important metric for tracking the delivery of surgical care.Objectives: We aimed to characterize the reports on surgical volume (SV) in the existing literature by using a systematic review to assess studies that examine surgical procedures as a ratio of a population (procedures/100,000 population).Methods: The PRISMA guideline was employed in the systematic review of articles that addressed the measurement of SV in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with the primary outcome of surgical procedures/100,000 population.Findings: The search result consisted of 6,657 preliminary studies. Following the title and abstract screening, 6,464 articles were excluded, and the remaining 193 were included in the full text review. From the full text review of the 193, only 26 of these articles defined SV as the ratio of number of procedures per population of the catchment/geographical area. The reported SV was a mean of 765, with an SD of 1260 operations per 100,000. The median SV was 180 (min = 0.900, max = 4470).Conclusion: Our findings support the LCoGS assessment of the gap in surgical care. The target for SV is 5000 per 100,000 population, compared to the average of 765 per 100,000 population as found in this review. The challenges for assessing surgical volume gaps are vast, including the nature of written records, which limits SV reports to an absolute number of procedures per year without a reference to the catchment population. For the purpose of tracking SV, we recommend using proxies that account for the capacity of facilities to deliver care regardless of the catchment population.

    View details for DOI 10.5334/aogh.4251

    View details for PubMedID 37841804

  • Impact of Delaying Surgery After Chemoradiation on Outcomes for Locally Advanced Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Annals of surgical oncology Wong, L., Liou, D. Z., Vitzthum, L. K., Backhus, L. M., Lui, N. S., Chang, D., Shrager, J. B., Berry, M. F. 2022

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Performing selective esophagectomy for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma may spare patients morbidity, but delayed surgery may infer higher risks. This study evaluated the impact of length of time between chemoradiation and esophagectomy on perioperative outcomes and long-term survival.METHODS: The impact of surgical timing, stratified by surgery performed < 180 and ≥ 180 days from starting radiation, on perioperative outcomes and survival in patients treated with chemoradiation and esophagectomy for cT1N + M0 and cT2-4, any N, M0 squamous cell carcinoma of the mid-distal esophagus in the National Cancer Database (2006-2016) was evaluated with logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier curves, Cox proportional-hazards methods, and propensity-matched analysis.RESULTS: Median time between starting radiation and esophagectomy in 1641 patients was 93 (IQR 81-114) days. Most patients (96.8%, n = 1589) had surgery within 180 days of starting radiation, while 52 patients (3.2%) had delayed surgery. Black race and clinical T stage were associated with delayed surgery. Rates of pathologic upstaging, downstaging, complete response, and positive margins were not significantly different between the groups. Patients with delayed surgery had increased major morbidity as measured by a composite of length of hospital stay, readmission, and 30-day mortality [42.3% (22/52) vs 22.3% (355/1589), p = 0.001]. However, delayed surgery was not associated with a significant difference in survival in both univariate [5-year survival 32.8% (95% CI 21.1-50.7) vs 47.3% (44.7-50.1), p = 0.19] and multivariable analysis [hazard ratio (HR) 1.23 (0.85-1.78), p = 0.26].CONCLUSIONS: Delaying surgery longer than 180 days after starting chemoradiation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is associated with worse perioperative outcomes but not long-term survival.

    View details for DOI 10.1245/s10434-022-12980-5

    View details for PubMedID 36572807