Does timing of esophagectomy following neoadjuvant chemoradiation affect outcomes? A meta-analysis

•The optimal timing of esophagectomy after nCRT remains unclear.•We evaluated whether a longer CRT-surgery interval (beyond classical 7 to 8 weeks) affected outcomes in esophageal cancer.•Extending surgical wait time increased pCR rate, while disadvantageous for mortality and OS of esophageal cancer patients.