Association of Preoperative Physical Fitness With Post-Esophagectomy Pneumonia in Older With Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer: An Exploratory Prospective Study.

BACKGROUNDS

Currently, there is a lack of evidence of prehabilitation during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) to prevent pneumonia of older patients. This study aimed to investigate the association of preoperative physical fitness after NAC with post-esophagectomy pneumonia in older patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (LAEC).

METHODS

This single-center exploratory prospective cohort study included 80 patients aged ≥ 65 years with LAEC scheduled for curative esophagectomy after NAC between 2021 and 2023. The post-NAC short incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) by sex was established using the Youden index. The association of the post-NAC short ISWT with postoperative pneumonia was investigated via Firth's penalized logistic regression model with statistical significance set as two-tailed p < 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 69 patients were analyzed. The mean post-NAC ISWT values were 353.5 m. Short ISWT distance was defined as ≤ 395 and ≤ 195 m for men and women, respectively. Postoperative pneumonia developed in 17 (25%) patients. Short post-NAC ISWT distance was significantly associated with postoperative pneumonia (adjusted odds ratio: 1.840, 95%CI: 1.760-28.440, p = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Decline in physical fitness was associated with post-esophagectomy pneumonia, which may be a key targeted factor of prehabilitation during NAC for older patients with LAEC.