PREDICTORS OF POSTOPERATIVE DISTANT RECURRENCES IN ESOPHAGEAL-CARCINOMA

Pathologic factors and the number of nucleolar organizer region protei ns (AgNORs) were evaluated as predictors of postoperative recurrence i n distant organs in 92 patients with curatively resected esophageal ca rcinoma. The rate of distant recurrence was significantly higher in pa tients with venous invasion (53%; 19 of 36) than in those without inva sion (21%; 12 of 56) (p < 0.01) and was also higher in patients with a n AgNOR score greater than or equal to 4 (49%;19 of 39) than in those with an AgNOR score less than 4 (23%; 12 of 53) (p < 0.02). The rate o f recurrence was significantly higher in patients with both venous inv asion and AgNOR score greater than or equal to 4 (67%; 16 of 24) than in the other patients. These findings indicate that the combination of venous invasion and a high AgNOR score predicts distant postoperative recurrences in patients with curatively resected esophageal carcinoma .