Prognostic factors for postoperative mortality in cancer of the esophagus. Analysis of 46 cases
Ballvé, M.; Olivé, M.; Sardá, I.; Mora, A.; Cortés, E.; Cabarrocas, E.
Revista Espanola de Anestesiologia y Reanimacion 39(1): 10-13
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-9356 PMID: 1376000 Document Number: 390368
Forty six patients with esophageal cancer underwent surgery between January 1986 and January 1990. In 14 patients (30.4%) distant metastases were recognized before surgery, whereas in 29 cases (63%) regional neoplastic lymph node infiltration was observed during surgery. Complications during and after surgery occurred in 32 (69.6%) patients and in 30 cases (65.2%) respectively. During the first 30 days after surgery 12 patients died. This represents a postoperative mortality of 26.1%. Among a total number of 51 variables analyzed in this study, 11 influenced the postoperative mortality: duration of intubation, previous history of toxic syndrome, presence of distant metastases before surgery, presence of neoplastic node involvement during surgery, tumor size greater than 4 cm, localization of the tumor at the middle third of the esophagus, respiratory insufficiency, cardiac failure, septic shock, and suture failure during the postoperative phase. However, multivariate analysis revealed that only three of these variables had an independent prognostic value on postoperative mortality: tumor size, presence of distant metastases, and development of respiratory insufficiency during the postoperative period.