Oncological outcomes of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervical esophagus treated with definitive (chemo-)radiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: To determine the oncological outcomes of cervical esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (CESCC) treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Results: A total of 1222 patients (median age: 63.0 years, 95% CI 61.0-65.0) were included from 22 studies. The median follow-up time was 34.0 months (n = 1181, 95% CI 26.4-36.0). Estimated pooled OS rates (95% CI) at 1, 3, and 5 years were 77.9% (73.9-82.2), 48.4% (43.2-54.3), and 35.3% (29.7-41.9), respectively. The median OS (95% CI) was 33.4 months (25.8-42.2). Estimated pooled PFS rates (n = 595; 95% CI) at 1, 3, and 5 years were 64.1% (57.9-71.0), 38.0% (33.3-45.5), and 29.8% (23.9-37.1), respectively. The median PFS (95% CI) was 19.8 months (14.9-26.6). Conclusions: Definitive CRT is a valuable first-line treatment for the management of CESCC. Further studies should focus on survival predictors able to define stage-based clinical guidelines.