Risk factors for pericardial effusion in patients with stage i esophageal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy

Aim: We investigated clinical and dosimetric factors influencing the risk of developing pericardial effusion (PCE) in patients with Stage I esophageal cancer undergoing definitive chemoradiotherapy. Patients and Methods: Sixtynine patients with Stage I esophageal cancer who underwent definitive chemoradiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment comprised of three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (60 Gy in 30 fractions) with concurrent chemotherapy. Clinical and dosimetric factors associated with PCE development were analyzed. Results: The median follow-up was 37 months (range=8-111 months); the crude PCE incidence rate was 52.2%. Grade 2 and 3 incidence rate was 47.8% and 4.3%, respectively. The median time to PCE onset was 5.7 months after radiotherapy. In multivariate analysis, pericardial V30 >41.6%, age >66 years, body mass index (BMI) >19 and diabetes mellitus (DM) were significant predictors of developing PCE. Conclusion: The present study suggests that higher pericardial V30, advanced age, high BMI and DM are risk factors for developing PCE.