Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Surg. May 27, 2025; 17(5): 104235
Published online May 27, 2025. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i5.104235
Integrating clinical and molecular approaches to improve survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Qian-Cheng Du, Yu Bai, Hui Nian
Qian-Cheng Du, Hui Nian, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai 200031, China
Yu Bai, Intensive Care Unit, Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai 200031, China
Author contributions: Du QC and Bai Y contributed to the analysis and manuscript writing, they contributed equally as co-first authors; Nian H conceptualized and supervised the article’s development; and all authors have read and endorsed the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hui Nian, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Xuhui Central Hospital, No. 366 Longchuan North Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200031, China. nianhui003sh@outlook.com
Received: December 16, 2024
Revised: March 16, 2025
Accepted: April 10, 2025
Published online: May 27, 2025
Processing time: 160 Days and 13 Hours
Abstract

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma continues to pose a significant global health burden due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis, often diagnosed at an advanced stage. This retrospective study by Ren et al aims to identify long-term survival outcomes and the associated risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients, employing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression models. The study highlights critical prognostic factors such as tumor stage, age, gender, and treatment modality. The authors emphasize the importance of clinical factors in predicting survival and underscore the necessity of incorporating molecular biomarkers and psychosocial elements into survival models for more accurate predictions. While the study offers valuable insights, it also points to the potential for integrating modern therapies such as chemoradiotherapy and targeted treatments to improve survival outcomes. Future research should focus on prospective cohort studies, external validation, and the development of personalized treatment strategies that combine clinical, molecular, and psychosocial factors to optimize patient care.

Keywords: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; Survival outcomes; Prognostic factors; Kaplan-Meier; Prognosis; Personalized medicine

Core Tip: This study underscores the key prognostic factors affecting long-term survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, with a particular focus on tumor stage, age, gender, and treatment modality. The findings highlight the importance of integrating molecular biomarkers and psychosocial factors into survival models to improve prediction accuracy. Future research should focus on prospective studies and developing personalized treatment strategies that incorporate both traditional and modern therapeutic approaches to improve patient outcomes.