Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42658442›Full record

ArticleEsophagus : official journal of the Japan Esophageal Society2026

Clinical significance of combining circulating tumor DNA and endoscopic response evaluation for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Yuki Hoshi, Satoru Matsuda, Kohei Nakamura, Hirofumi Kawakubo, Keiso Ho, Ryota Kobayashi, Takayuki Tsuji, Masashi Takeuchi, Kazumasa Fukuda, Hiroshi Nishihara and 1 more

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Esophagus : official journal of the Japan Esophageal Society, 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

11 authors.

Yuki HoshiDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Satoru MatsudaDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan. s.matsuda.a8@keio.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8441-2755
Kohei NakamuraCenter for Cancer Genomics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Hirofumi KawakuboDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Keiso HoDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Ryota KobayashiDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Takayuki TsujiDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Masashi TakeuchiDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Kazumasa FukudaDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.
Hiroshi NishiharaCenter for Cancer Genomics, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Yuko KitagawaDepartment of Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan.

Funding

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 24K11918
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe previously demonstrated the usefulness of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood for assessing tumor burden for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We also found that endoscopic response evaluation predicted the prognosis of ESCC patients. In this study, we determined whether the combination of post-NAC ctDNA with endoscopic evaluation can improve the prediction of the prognosis in ESCC patients.

methodsThirty-one patients with ESCC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and surgery at Keio University Hospital between 2019 and 2024 were reviewed. Blood samples for ctDNA analysis were collected before and after NAC. An endoscopic responder (ER) was defined based on the endoscopic findings. Patients were classified into three groups by post-NAC ctDNA and ER status: (A) ctDNA-negative and ER, (B) ctDNA-negative and non-ER, and (C) ctDNA-positive. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and pathological lymph node status were investigated.

resultsSixty blood samples were collected from 31 patients. Of these patients, 29 were ctDNA-positive before NAC, and 13 became negative after NAC. ER was observed in 10 patients. Three-year RFS was significantly higher in ctDNA-negative than in ctDNA-positive (74% vs. 12%, p = 0.001). When combining ctDNA and ER, group A had no recurrences during follow-up. Three-year RFS rates for groups A, B, and C were 100, 53, and 12%, respectively (p = 0.004). 80% of group A patients showed no lymph node metastasis.

conclusionsThe combination of post-NAC ctDNA and ER predicts the prognosis more accurately. These indicators will individualize ESCC treatment.

Indexed as

Circulating tumor DNAEndoscopyEsophageal neoplasmsEsophageal squamous cell carcinomaNeoadjuvant therapy

Identifiers

PMID42658442

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.