Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40963272›Full record

ArticleJournal of chest surgery2025

The Impact of Chemoradiotherapy on Nutritional Status and Quality of Life in Esophageal Cancer Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study in Taiwan.

Chien-Hung Chiu, Ming-Ru Yu, Shu-Chun Huang, Pin-Li Chou, Ya-Tzu Tsao, Ching-Tzu Huang, Hsin-Hsin Lin, Yin-Kai Chao, Yu-Ling Chang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of chest surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Chien-Hung ChiuDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3643-1596
Ming-Ru YuDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6017-3813
Shu-Chun HuangDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, New Taipei Municipal Tucheng Hospital, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6816-8836
Pin-Li ChouDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1344-1986
Ya-Tzu TsaoDepartment of Medical Nutrition Therapy, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4803-7211
Ching-Tzu HuangDepartment of Respiratory Therapy, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5755-5758
Hsin-Hsin LinDepartment of Nursing, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1415-6643
Yin-Kai ChaoDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8649-8783
Yu-Ling ChangDivision of Thoracic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4514-7797

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted healthcare and worsened quality of life (QOL). Advanced esophageal cancer is often accompanied by malnutrition and poor QOL; chemoradiotherapy (CRT) remains the mainstay of treatment. We evaluated nutrition and QOL pre- and post-CRT immediately before and during the pandemic. Methods: Patients with esophageal cancer who underwent neoadjuvant or definitive CRT between April 2019 and December 2020 were enrolled. Disease severity, treatment timing, and outcomes were compared for cohorts treated pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19. Nutritional status was measured with the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). QOL was measured with the Mandarin Chinese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the esophageal site-specific module (QLQ-OES18). In the pandemic cohort, pre-/post-CRT paired analyses were performed. Results: Eighty-four patients were enrolled. The median diagnosis to treatment interval lengthened during COVID-19 (17.8 days vs. 24.2 days, p=0.04). Among the patients treated during the COVID-19 pandemic, nutritional status improved significantly following CRT (p=0.003). In the EORTC QLQ-C30, post-CRT scores for global health status (p<0.01) and emotional functioning (p<0.01) showed significant improvement. Additionally, symptom scores, including fatigue (p=0.02) and nausea and vomiting (p=0.02), decreased. However, financial difficulties worsened after CRT (p=0.02). In the EORTC QLQ-OES18, post-CRT symptom scores for eating (p<0.01), reflux (p=0.03), and pain (p<0.01) showed significant improvement. Conclusion: Despite COVID-19-related delays, CRT enhanced nutrition, global health, and symptom control in esophageal cancer, although financial burdens increased. Integrating socioeconomic support with oncologic care is vital during health crises.

Indexed as

ChemoradiotherapyCOVID-19Esophageal neoplasmsNutritionQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID40963272
PMCPMC12592016

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.