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Keywords:

  • diabetes;
  • esophageal cancer;
  • high body mass index;
  • surgical complication;
  • therapy

SUMMARY

High body mass index (H-BMI; ≥25 kg/m2) is common in US adults. In a small cohort of esophageal cancer (EC) patients treated with surgery, H-BMI and diagnosis of early stage EC appeared associated. We evaluated a much larger cohort of EC patients. From a prospectively maintained database, we analyzed 925 EC patients who had surgery with or without adjunctive therapy. Various statistical methods were used. Among 925 patients, 69% had H-BMI, and 31% had normal body mass index (<25 kg/m2; N-BMI). H-BMI was associated with men (P < 0.001), Caucasians (P = 0.064; trend), lower esophageal localization (P < 0.001), adenocarcinoma histology (P < 0.001), low baseline cT-stage (P = 0.003), low baseline overall clinical stage (P = 0.003), coronary artery disease (P = 0.036), and diabetes (P < 0.001). N-BMI was associated with weight loss (P < 0.001), alcohol abuse (P = 0.056; trend), ever/current smoking (P = 0.014), and baseline cN+ (P = 0.018). H-BMI patients with cT1 tumors (n = 110) had significantly higher rates of gastresophageal reflux disease symptoms (P < 0.001), gastresophageal reflux disease history (P < 0.001), and Barrett's esophagus history (P < 0.001) compared with H-BMI patients with cT2 tumors (n = 114). Median survival of N-BMI patients was 36.66 months compared with 53.20 months for H-BMI patients (P = 0.005). In multivariate analysis, older age (P < 0.001), squamous histology (P = 0.002), smoking (P = 0.040), weight loss (P = 0.002), high baseline stage (P < 0.001), high number of ypN+ (P = 0.005), high surgical stage (P < 0.001), and American Society of Anesthesia scores, three out of four (P < 0.001) were independent prognosticators for poor overall survival. We were able to perform propensity-based analysis of surgical complications between H-BMI and N-BMI patients. A comparison of fully matched 376 patients (188 with H-BMI and 188 with N-BMI) found no significant differences in the rate of complications between the two groups. This larger data set confirms that a fraction of H-BMI patients with antecedent history is diagnosed with early baseline EC. Upon validation of our data in an independent cohort, refinements in surveillance of symptomatic H-BMI patients are warranted and could be implemented. Our data also suggest that H-BMI patients do not experience higher rate of surgical complications compared with N-BMI patients.