The dawning of perioperative care in esophageal cancer

The currently published paper “Reduced fitness and physical functioning are long-term sequelae after curative treatment for esophageal cancer: a matched control study” by Gannon et al. (1) focuses on a highly relevant topic of esophageal surgery, which has been greatly under-addressed in the past. Objective data on physical performance outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of disease-free survivors after esophagectomy for cancer compared with a noncancer control group are rare (1). Data by Gannon et al. clearly show that disease-free survivors of curative esophageal cancer treatment display a significant compromise in physical functioning as compared to the control group, highlighting the multiple, complex rehabilitative needs of this cohort (1).