Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42245309›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in surgery2026

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy vs. direct surgery for locally advanced esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis.

Lun Li, Lei Liu, Cong Yu, Shuzhu Chen

Abstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

4 authors.

Lun Li *Department of Thoracic Surgery, Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, China.
Lei Liu *Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Cong YuDepartment of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, China.
Shuzhu ChenDepartment of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: This meta-analysis systematically compares neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) plus surgery vs. surgery alone for locally advanced esophageal cancer. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception to March 2025. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment (using ROB 2.0) were performed independently. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), and odds ratios (ORs) or relative risks (RRs) for R0 resection, pathological complete response (pCR), postoperative complications, and mortality were calculated using Stata 18.0. Heterogeneity was assessed with the I Results: Seven RCTs involving 1,168 patients were included. nCRT plus surgery significantly improved OS (HR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.59-0.77, Conclusion: nCRT followed by surgery significantly enhances survival outcomes and pCR rate, but does not significantly improve the R0 resection rate compared with surgery alone, without increasing mortality risk. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42025125423, PROSPERO CRD420251251423.

Indexed as

esophageal cancermeta-analysisneoadjuvant chemoradiotherapyoverall survivalR0 resectionrandomized controlled trial

Identifiers

PMID42245309
PMCPMC13229976

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Registered trials

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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.