Esophageal CancerNCT07022652
Influence of Hospital Volume on Mortality and Length of Hospital Stay After Oesophageal Cancer Resection in Switzerland
An observational study of Esophageal Cancer, run by Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen at 1 site in Switzerland.
Trial summary
The effect of centralisation measures on the operative outcomes after oesophageal cancer resection (ECR) in Switzerland has not been highlighted yet. Oesophageal cancer is a rare malignancy in Switzerland. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Esophageal Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Esophageal cancer resection
- Type of treatment
- Surgery or procedure
- How many people
- 2,880 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSwitzerland
- Study dates
- 1 Jan 2013to 15 May 2025
- How long will I take part?
- 90 Days
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 20 years and older
- All sexes
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: All patients with esophageal cancer resection in Switzerland between 2013 and 2022
Who may be able to join
- Esophageal cancer resection
Who cannot join
- Incomplete documentation
- Age under 20 years
- Other hospitals than general or surgical hospitals
- No index operation
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Switzerland1 site
HOCH Health Ostschweiz, Kantonsspital St.Gallen
Sankt Gallen, St.Gallen, 9000
About this study
Official title: Influence of Hospital Volume on Mortality and Length of Hospital Stay After Oesophageal Cancer Resection in Switzerland: A Retrospective National Registry Study
The effect of centralisation measures on the operative outcomes after oesophageal cancer resection (ECR) in Switzerland has not been highlighted yet. Oesophageal cancer is a rare malignancy in Switzerland. It accounts for 2% of all cancers, with an incidence of 603 per year between 2017 and 2021, affecting primarily men (incidence per year 445, 74%). The mortality of oesophageal cancer is high. The 437 annual oesophageal cancer-related deaths between 2017 and 2021 result in a low 5-year overall survival (OS) of only 30%. Together with the often polymorbid patients, the very demanding surgical technique, and the challenges in postoperative management, a specialised, high-volume, interdisciplinary treatment team is required. The centralisation of such complex surgical procedures in specialised centres aims to build up such treatment teams, resulting in improved quality of the treatment and increased patient safety. To concentrate such procedures in Switzerland, the "Intercantonal agreement on highly specialized medicine" came into force in 2009. In 2013, esophagectomy was regulated for the first time, and the first service allocations were awarded definitely to eight and provisionally to another eight Swiss centres. Before 2013, esophagectomy was performed in 69 hospitals in Switzerland. The decision on the allocation was revised in 2019, resulting in only eight Swiss centres remaining with a service contract for esophagectomy. The next review will take place on the 31st of July 2025.
This retrospective registry study provides Swiss national data on the effect of centralisation on operative outcomes after oesophageal cancer resection (ECR) in Switzerland. It aims to measure the influence of the hospital-specific case number of ECR per year (hospital volume) on the outcome.
- Conditions
- Esophageal Cancer
- Being tested
- Esophageal cancer resection
- Medical subject headings
- Esophageal Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Esophageal cancer resectionProcedure or surgery
Esophageal cancer resection
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Mortality
The association between the hospital volume and the postoperative mortality Mortality Yes or No Hospital volume of esophageal cancer resection as marginal effect Association with GAM logistic regression
Measured: Periprocedural
Secondary outcomes (3)
Reoperation rate
The association between the hospital volume and the reoperation rate Reoperation Yes or No Hospital volume of esophageal cancer resection as marginal effect Association with GAM logistic regression
Measured: Periprocedural
Length of hospital stay
The association between the hospital volume and the length of hospital stay Length of hospital stay in days Hospital volume of esophageal cancer resection as marginal effect Association with quantile regression
Measured: Periprocedural
Sociodemographic trends
Measured: 2013 - 2022
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Jun 2025
- Study start1 Jan 2013
- Primary completion31 Dec 2022
- Study completion15 May 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Esophageal CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 2,880 participants (actual)
- Target duration
- 90 Days
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Yanic Ammann, Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07022652
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Hospital volume in ECR
- Status last verified
- Jun 2025
- First submitted
- 26 May 2025
- Last updated
- 15 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Ammann Y, Warschkow R, Klein M, Ukegjini K, Tarantino I, Steffen T. Association between hospital volume and mortality after elective oesophageal cancer resection in Switzerland: a retrospective national registry study from 2013 to 2022. Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2026 Jul 7. doi: 10.1007/s00423-026-04125-z. Online ahead of print.
PubMed 42412204
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 15 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Influence of Hospital Volume on Mortality and Length of Hospital Stay After Oesophageal Cancer Resection in Switzerland: A Retrospective National Registry Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07022652
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Hospital volume in ECR
- Conditions
- Esophageal Cancer
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 2,880 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Cantonal Hospital of St. GallenUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jan 2013 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Dec 2022 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 May 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The effect of centralisation measures on the operative outcomes after oesophageal cancer resection (ECR) in Switzerland has not been highlighted yet. Oesophageal cancer is a rare malignancy in Switzerland. It accounts for 2% of all cancers, with an incidence of 603 per year between 2017 and 2021, affecting primarily men (incidence per year 445, 74%). The mortality of oesophageal cancer is high. The 437 annual oesophageal cancer-related deaths between 2017 and 2021 result in a low 5-year overall survival (OS) of only 30%. Together with the often polymorbid patients, the very demanding surgical technique, and the challenges in postoperative management, a specialised, high-volume, interdisciplinary treatment team is required. The centralisation of such complex surgical procedures in specialised centres aims to build up such treatment teams, resulting in improved quality of the treatment and increased patient safety. To concentrate such procedures in Switzerland, the "Intercantonal agreement on highly specialized medicine" came into force in 2009. In 2013, esophagectomy was regulated for the first time, and the first service allocations were awarded definitely to eight and provisionally to another eight Swiss centres. Before 2013, esophagectomy was performed in 69 hospitals in Switzerland. The decision on the allocation was revised in 2019, resulting in only eight Swiss centres remaining with a service contract for esophagectomy. The next review will take place on the 31st of July 2025.
This retrospective registry study provides Swiss national data on the effect of centralisation on operative outcomes after oesophageal cancer resection (ECR) in Switzerland. It aims to measure the influence of the hospital-specific case number of ECR per year (hospital volume) on the outcome.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Target follow-up
- 90 Days
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- All patients with esophageal cancer resection in Switzerland between 2013 and 2022
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Esophageal cancer resection
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Incomplete documentation
- Age under 20 years
- Other hospitals than general or surgical hospitals
- No index operation
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Esophageal cancer resectionEsophageal cancer resection | Procedure or surgery | – |
Primary outcome
Mortality
Time frame: Periprocedural
The association between the hospital volume and the postoperative mortality Mortality Yes or No Hospital volume of esophageal cancer resection as marginal effect Association with GAM logistic regression
3 secondary outcomes
Reoperation rate
Time frame: Periprocedural
Length of hospital stay
Time frame: Periprocedural
Sociodemographic trends
Time frame: 2013 - 2022
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 15 Jun 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42412204Ammann Y, Warschkow R, Klein M, Ukegjini K, Tarantino I, Steffen T. Association between hospital volume and mortality after elective oesophageal cancer resection in Switzerland: a retrospective national registry study from 2013 to 2022. Langenbecks Arch Surg. 2026 Jul 7. doi: 10.1007/s00423-026-04125-z. Online ahead of print.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Esophageal Cancer, run by Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen at 1 site in Switzerland.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 15 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Mortality (time frame: Periprocedural). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07022652, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 15 Jun 2025.