Effect of Prophylactic Radiotherapy on Patients with Stage II-III Esophageal Cancer after Esophageal Cancer Radical Operation and Influencing Factors in Its Recurrence

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of prophylactic radiotherapy on patients with stage II-III esophageal cancer (EC) after esophageal cancer radical operation (ECRO) and influencing factors on EC recurrence. METHODS: Totally, 65 patients with EC in our hospital were enrolled. Among them, 30 patients were treated by routine ECRO as a control group (Con group) and 35 patients by prophylactic radiotherapy as a research group (Res group). Then, the following measures were taken: record the efficacy on both groups, quantify their C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC) before and after therapy, evaluate their mental state through the revised piper fatigue scale (PFS-R) before and after therapy, determine their changes in Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) before and after therapy, compare them in terms of lymph-node metastatic rate (LNMR), hematogenous metastasis rate (HMR), anastomotic recurrence rate (ARR), and 3-year survival rate, compare them in terms of life quality after therapy via the Quality of Life-Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), and analyze influencing factors on their recurrence. RESULTS: The Res group showed a notably higher total effective rate (TER) than the Con group (P=0.037). After therapy, CRP and WBC in both groups increased, but their levels were not considerably different in both (P > 0.05). Additionally, after therapy, in contrast to the Con group, the Res group got notably lower PFS-R, SDS, and SAS scores, showed notably lower LNMR and ARR and notably higher 3-year survival rate, and experienced notably higher life quality (all P < 0.05), and the HMR results were not considerably different in both groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), esophageal inflammation history, family medical history, postoperative complications, and lymphatic and vascular infiltration were risk factors for the disease recurrence, and treatment method was the protective factor for it. CONCLUSION: For patients with stage II-III EC after ECRO, prophylactic radiotherapy is highly effective and safe and can lower the recurrence rate, so it is worth popularizing in clinical practice.