Residual tumor at the proximal or distal margin after esophagectomy is a known prognostic factor for poor survival outcomes in patients with esophageal cancer; however, the significance of the circumferential resection margin (CRM) remains controversial. In this study, the investigators sought to evaluate the prognostic significance of the CRM in patients with esophageal cancer undergoing resection.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Histologically confirmed esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) or esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) undergoing esophagectomy
• Pathologic staged T3 tumors (pT3)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pathologic staged T0-2 (pT0-2) or T4 tumors (pT4)
• Patients with histologic types other than EAC or ESCC, dysplasia or carcinoma in situ without tumor invasion,
• Patients undergoing salvage esophagectomy
• Evidence of distant metastatic disease
• Patients with a positive proximal or distal margin

Participants undergoing esophagectomy for histologically confirmed esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) or esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) during the period from 2000 to 2019.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center supports the international committee of medical journal editors (ICMJE) and the ethical obligation of responsible sharing of data from clinical trials. The protocol summary, a statistical summary, and informed consent form will be made available on clinicaltrials.gov when required as a condition of Federal awards, other agreements supporting the research and/or as otherwise required. Requests for deidentified individual participant data can be made beginning 12 months after publication and for up to 36 months post publication. Deidentified individual participant data reported in the manuscript will be shared under the terms of a Data Use Agreement and may only be used for approved proposals. Requests may be made to: crdatashare@mskcc.org.