Figures (3)  Tables (3)

    • Figure 1. 

      Kaplan-Meier curves for OS, DSS, LC period, and PFS for all patients.

    • Figure 2. 

      Results of log-rank tests for Kaplan-Meier curves for OS, DSS, LC period, and PFS according to clinical stage. Stage Ⅰ: red line, stage Ⅱ: green line, stage Ⅲ: blue line, stage Ⅳ: brown line.

    • Figure 3. 

      Kaplan-Meier curves for OS, DSS, LC period, and PFS for patients with stage IT1aN0M0: red line, T1bN0M0: green line, T1N1M0: blue line.

    • n %
      Age
        Median 81 years (range 53–94 years)
      Gender
        Female 14 20.3
        Male 55 79.7
      PS
        0 19 27.5
        1 35 50.7
        2 10 14.5
        3 3 4.3
        4 2 2.9
      Tumor location
        Ut 9 13.0
        Mt 33 47.8
        Lt 23 33.3
        Ae 1 1.4
        Ce 3 4.3
      Histology
        SCC 67 97.1
        AC 1 1.4
        Other 1 1.4
      T stage
        T1 28 40.6
        T2 4 5.8
        T3 27 39.1
        T4 10 14.5
      N stage
        N0 29 42.0
        N1 26 37.7
        N2 13 18.8
        N3 1 1.4
      M stage
        M0 64 92.8
        M1 5 7.2
      Clinical stage
        Ⅰ 27 39.1
        Ⅱ 9 13.0
        Ⅲ 22 31.9
        Ⅳ 11 15.9
      Albumin level
        Median 3.6 g/dL (range 2.5–4.9 g/dL)
      Total radiation dose
        Median 60 Gy (range 50–66 Gy)
      PS, performance status; Ut, upper thoracic; Mt middle thoracic; Lt, lower thoracic; Ae abdomen esophagus; Ce, cervical esophagus; SCC, squamous cell carcinoma; AC, adenocarcinoma.

      Table 1. 

      Patients’ characteristics (n = 69)

    • OS DSS LC PFS
      HR 95% CI p value HR 95% CI p value HR 95% CI p value HR 95% CI p value
      Gender (male vs. female) 1.34 0.62–2.66 0.431 0.53 0.24–1.17 0.133 0.72 0.31–1.72 0.476 1.49 0.74–2.78 0.249
      Age 1.03 0.99–1.08 0.090 1.03 0.98–1.09 0.200 0.97 0.93–1.01 0.155 1.00 0.96–1.03 0.856
      PS 1.62 1.12–2.29 0.012 1.69 1.11–2.48 0.015 1.58 1.00–2.42 0.049 1.53 1.09–2.09 0.014
      Tumor location (Ut vs. Mt vs. Lt-Ae vs. Ce) 1.48 0.98–2.24 0.065 1.63 0.99–2.68 0.053 1.31 0.80–2.14 0.287 1.46 1.01–2.09 0.042
      T stage 1.95 1.47–2.62 <0.0001 2.43 1.70–3.56 <0.0001 1.92 1.36–2.78 0.0002 1.86 1.44–2.42 <0.0001
      N stage 2.17 1.47–3.19 0.0002 2.43 1.54–3.81 0.0002 1.56 0.98–2.42 0.058 1.76 1.25–2.45 0.0002
      M stage 3.56 1.04–9.29 0.044 4.12 1.20–10.96 0.028 1.68 0.27–5.80 0.515 2.76 0.82–6.99 0.093
      Clinical stage 1.87 1.43–2.48 <0.0001 2.26 1.61–3.24 <0.0001 1.78 1.27–2.53 0.0008 1.75 1.36–2.25 <0.0001
      Total radiation dose 0.96 0.87–1.06 0.429 0.92 0.82–1.03 0.152 0.87 0.76–0.98 0.023 0.91 0.83–1.00 0.052
      Blood albumin level 0.36 0.19–0.68 0.002 0.39 0.18–0.81 0.013 0.54 0.04–1.38 0.108 0.50 0.29–0.86 0.013
      OS, overall survival; DSS, disease-specific survival; LC, local control period; PFS, progression-free survival; PS, performance status; Ut, upper thoracic; Mt, middle thoracic; Lt, lower thoracic; Ae, abdomen esophagus; Ce, cervical esophagus.

      Table 2. 

      Univariate analysis for OS, DSS, LC, and PFS

    • OS DSS LC PFS
      HR 95% CI p value HR 95% CI p value HR 95% CI p value HR 95% CI p value
      PS 1.21 0.79–1.79 0.358 1.26 0.77–1.95 0.337 1.07 0.65–1.70 0.796 1.21 0.84–1.71 0.296
      Tumor location (Ut vs. Mt vs. Lt-Ae vs. Ce) 1.55 1.10–2.19 0.012
      Clinical stage 4.42 1.80–11.17 0.001 2.08 1.43–3.12 0.0001 1.86 1.28–2.74 0.001 1.65 1.25–2.18 0.0004
      Total radiation dose 0.87 0.78–0.97 0.016
      Blood albumin level 0.58 0.27–1.27 0.166 0.80 0.32–2.11 0.648 0.69 0.36–1.35 0.276
      T stage, N stage, M stage, clinical stage were significant predictors in univariate analysis. Only clinical stage was included in multivariate analysis because these factors had correlations. OS, overall survival; DSS, disease-specific survival; LC, local control period; PFS, progression-free survival; PS, performance status; Ut, upper thoracic; Mt, middle thoracic; Lt, lower thoracic; Ae, abdomen esophagus; Ce, cervical esophagus.

      Table 3. 

      Multivariate analysis for OS, DSS, LC, and PFS