Prognostic value of preoperative psoas muscle index as a measure of nutritional status in patients with esophageal cancer receiving neoadjuvant therapy

•In this study, we investigated and evaluated the clinical results of esophageal cancer using the psoas muscle index.•The ratio of sarcopenia patients decreased during the period from pretherapeutic to preoperative, suggesting improved nutritional status.•There was a significant difference in overall survival and disease-free survival with and without sarcopenia in the preoperative group.•Improving nutritional status before surgery was shown to improve short-term prognosis in esophageal cancer.