Univariate associations between nursing-relevant indicators and recurrence
Among the 124 patients in the model-development cohort, 22 experienced recurrence and 102 did not. High-salt or spicy food intake, incomplete wound-exudate documentation, HADS score ≥11, irregular sucralfate use, at least two missed follow-up appointments, smoking exposure, and uncontrolled diabetes were more frequent among patients with recurrence than among those without recurrence. Age, BMI, lesion size ≥2 cm, and poor differentiation did not differ significantly between the groups (Table 2). These univariate findings were interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causal effects (Table 2).
Model development and internal validation
The seven-variable logistic model included high-salt or spicy food intake, incomplete documentation of wound exudate, HADS score ≥11, irregular sucralfate use, at least two missed follow-up appointments, smoking exposure, and uncontrolled diabetes. Let X1-X7 denote these variables in the order listed, coded as 1 when present and 0 when absent. The linear predictor was LP = −6.0438 + 1.3123X1 + 1.6194X2 + 2.2870X3 + 0.9335X4 + 1.3526X5 + 1.1080X6 + 0.6359X7, and the estimated probability was p = exp(LP)/[1 + exp(LP)]. The apparent AUC was 0.922 (95% CI, 0.872–0.972). At the threshold of 0.1484 selected by the maximum Youden index, sensitivity was 95.45%, specificity was 84.31%, and the Youden index was 0.7977. The Hosmer-Lemeshow statistic was χ2 = 4.358 (P = 0.823), and the Brier score was 0.088. Bootstrap internal validation estimated optimism of 0.038, yielding an optimism-corrected AUC of 0.884. These performance estimates should be interpreted with caution because only 22 recurrence events were available for seven predictor parameters (Figure 2 and Tables 3,4).
Baseline characteristics of the retrospective comparative cohort
No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the measured baseline characteristics, including age, sex, BMI, pathological type, lesion size, differentiation, vascular invasion, diabetes, and baseline HADS score (p > 0.05; Table 5). Because the follow-up strategy was not randomly assigned, similarity in measured characteristics does not rule out treatment selection bias or unmeasured confounding.
Twelve-month recurrence in the retrospective comparative cohort
During 12 months, recurrence was documented in 5 of 42 patients (11.90%) in the risk-guided follow-up group and 13 of 42 patients (30.95%) in the routine follow-up group. The risk-guided-minus-routine risk difference was −19.05 percentage points (95% CI, −35.55 to −1.37), the relative risk was 0.38 (95% CI, 0.15-0.98), and the odds ratio was 0.30 (95% CI, 0.10-0.94). Local recurrence occurred in 2 of 42 and 8 of 42 patients, respectively (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.04-1.07; Fisher’s exact p = 0.088), while metachronous cancer occurred in 3 of 42 and 5 of 42 patients, respectively (OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.13-2.55; Fisher’s exact p = 0.713). Exact event dates and individual risk-tier assignments were not retained in the 2024 analysis dataset; therefore, no time-to-event or risk-tier-specific recurrence analysis was performed (Table 6).
Nursing compliance during follow-up
Generalized estimating equations did not show significant group-by-time interactions for dietary compliance, wound-care execution, medication adherence, or follow-up adherence; the false-discovery-rate-adjusted P value was 0.328 for each interaction. At 12 months, the risk-guided group nevertheless had higher odds of dietary compliance (OR, 5.55; 95% CI, 1.82–16.94), wound-care execution (OR, 7.22; 95% CI, 1.90-27.40), medication adherence (OR, 4.11; 95% CI, 1.33-12.69), and follow-up adherence (OR, 14.55; 95% CI, 1.78-118.76). These estimates describe the 12-month group differences but do not demonstrate significantly different longitudinal trajectories (Table 7).
Inter-group differences in psychological status
Generalized estimating equations showed significant group-by-time interactions for anxiety (χ2 = 20.96, false-discovery-rate-adjusted p < 0.001), depression (χ2 = 24.84, adjusted p <0.001), and total HADS score (χ2 = 40.80, adjusted p < 0.001). At 12 months, the estimated risk-guided-minus-routine differences were −1.60 points for anxiety (95% CI, -2.05 to -1.14), -1.71 points for depression (95% CI, -2.12 to -1.31), and -3.31 points for the total HADS score (95% CI, -3.95 to -2.67; Figure 3).
Inter-group differences in self-management ability
Significant group-by-time interactions were observed for dietary management, symptom monitoring, medication management, emotional regulation, and the total self-management score (all false-discovery-rate-adjusted p < 0.001). At 12 months, the estimated risk-guided-minus-routine differences were 8.62 points for dietary management (95% CI, 7.51–9.73), 10.31 points for symptom monitoring (95% CI, 9.17-11.45), 9.02 points for medication management (95% CI, 7.72–10.32), 9.10 points for emotional regulation (95% CI, 7.92–10.27), and 37.05 points for the total score (95% CI, 34.67–39.43; Figure 4).
Inter-group differences in nutritional status
Generalized estimating equations showed significant group-by-time interactions for BMI (false-discovery-rate-adjusted p < 0.001), serum albumin (adjusted p < 0.001), and hemoglobin (adjusted p = 0.006). At 12 months, the estimated risk-guided-minus-routine differences were 1.59 kg/m2 for BMI (95% CI, 0.50–2.68), 5.43 g/L for serum albumin (95% CI, 3.56–7.30), and 7.31 g/L for hemoglobin (95% CI, 3.56–11.06; Figure 5).
Inter-group differences in medical resource consumption and nursing satisfaction
Mean annual examination cost was RMB 6,330.79 ± 1,186.52 in the risk-guided group and RMB 8,269.29 ± 1,569.26 in the routine group; the bootstrap mean difference was −RMB 1,938.50 (95% CI, -2,533.51 to -1,342.91). Annual hospitalizations averaged 0.76 ± 0.79 and 1.69 ± 1.28, respectively, with a mean difference of -0.93 (95% CI, -1.38 to -0.50). Mean follow-up time was 27.05 ± 5.66 and 39.26 ± 5.96 min, respectively, with a mean difference of -12.21 min (95% CI, -14.67 to -9.83). Satisfaction-category distributions differed between groups (Mann-Whitney U = 1197.0, P = 0.001), and the overall satisfaction rates were 39 of 42 (92.86%) and 30 of 42 (71.43%), respectively (Fisher’s exact P = 0.020; Table 8).
Data Availability:
Raw data supporting the model development and retrospective comparative cohort analyses are provided in Supplementary File 1.

Figure 1: Included patients and analytic structure of the retrospective model-development cohort and the retrospective comparative cohort. Patients in the 2024 cohort were classified according to the follow-up strategy documented in their medical and nursing records; no random allocation was performed. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.

Figure 2: Apparent performance and internal validation of the seven-variable exploratory recurrence-risk model. (A) Receiver operating characteristic curve; the apparent AUC was 0.922 (95% CI, 0.872-0.972), and the Youden threshold of 0.1484, explicitly marked on the curve, yielded a sensitivity of 95.45% and specificity of 84.31%. (B) Apparent and bootstrap-corrected calibration curves based on quintiles of predicted risk; the two curves are separately identified in the plot, and the 45-degree line indicates perfect calibration. The bootstrap-corrected curve was obtained using 1,000 bootstrap resamples with refitting of the full model. (C) Nomogram based on the seven binary nursing-relevant variables. Abbreviations: AUC = area under the curve. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.

Figure 3: Trends of HADS scores (anxiety/depression dimensions) at different time points after surgery between the two groups. (A) Anxiety dimensions score, (B) Depression dimensions score, (C) total score. Data are presented as mean ± SD; error bars represent SD. vs routine follow-up group * = p < 0.05, vs 1 month after surgery; # = p < 0.05, vs 6 months after surgery; & = p < 0.05. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.

Figure 4: Trends of self-management ability scores in each dimension at different time points after surgery between the two groups. (A) Diet management score, (B) Symptom monitoring score, (C) Medication management score, (D) Emotion regulation score, (E) Total score. Data are presented as mean ± SD; error bars represent SD. vs routine follow-up group * = p < 0.05, vs 1 month after surgery; # = p < 0.05, vs 6 months after surgery; & = p < 0.05. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.

Figure 5: Trends of nutritional status indicators at different time points after surgery between the two groups. (A) BMI, (B) Serum albumin (ALB), (C) Hb. Data are presented as mean ± SD; error bars represent SD. vs routine follow-up group * = p < 0.05, vs 1 month after surgery; # = p < 0.05, vs 6 months after surgery; & = p < 0.05. Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.
| Risk tier | Model probability | Follow-up schedule | Nursing measures | Provider and coordination | Documentation and fidelity |
| Low risk | <20% | One annual review; reinforcement every 3 months | Standardized booklet covering diet, lifestyle, and recurrence-warning symptoms; quarterly reinforcement messages | Routine gastroenterology nursing team | Recorded in routine follow-up records; no independent fidelity assessment |
| Intermediate risk | 20% to <40% | Semi-annual review, including one outpatient endoscopic reassessment; monthly telephone contact | Review of food diaries, individualized dietary planning, and reinforcement of medication adherence | Gastroenterology nursing team | Telephone and outpatient contacts recorded in nursing records; no prespecified fidelity threshold |
| High risk | ≥40% | Intensive scheduled support in addition to endoscopic surveillance | Eight weekly structured cognitive-behavioral support sessions; video-based wound-care instruction; daily warning-symptom logs with weekly feedback; monthly family sessions; coordinated diabetes management and glucose monitoring | Nursing team, family caregivers, and endocrinology service where diabetes was present | Components recorded in routine nursing records; provider credentials for the psychological component and a separate quantitative fidelity measure were not retained |
Table 1: Development, delivery, and content of the model-informed risk-guided follow-up pathway
| Indicator | Recurrent group | Non-recurrent group | Statistic | p value |
| Age, years | 61.23 ± 6.13 | 61.02 ± 4.99 | t = 0.170 | 0.866 |
| BMI, kg/m² | 23.83 ± 1.98 | 23.09 ± 2.74 | t = 1.207 | 0.23 |
| High-salt/spicy intake, yes/no | 15/7 | 31/71 | χ² = 11.075 | <0.001 |
| Incomplete wound records, yes/no | 14/8 | 28/74 | χ² = 10.579 | 0.001 |
| HADS score ≥11, yes/no | 17/5 | 25/77 | χ² = 22.493 | <0.001 |
| Irregular sucralfate use, yes/no | 15/7 | 35/67 | χ² = 8.626 | 0.003 |
| Missed follow-up ≥2 times, yes/no | 12/10 | 26/76 | χ² = 7.188 | 0.007 |
| Smoking ≥10 cigarettes/day, yes/no | 14/8 | 36/66 | χ² = 6.041 | 0.014 |
| Uncontrolled diabetes, yes/no | 12/10 | 32/70 | χ² = 4.245 | 0.039 |
| Lesion size ≥2 cm, yes/no | 13/9 | 40/62 | χ² = 2.921 | 0.087 |
| Poor differentiation, yes/no | 8/14 | 22/80 | χ² = 2.160 | 0.142 |
Table 2: Univariate associations between nursing-relevant indicators and 12-month recurrence after ESD
| Predictor | B | SE | Wald χ² | P value | OR | 95% CI |
| High-salt or spicy food intake | 1.312 | 0.669 | 3.842 | 0.05 | 3.715 | 1.000–13.797 |
| Incomplete wound-exudate documentation | 1.619 | 0.647 | 6.257 | 0.012 | 5.05 | 1.420–17.963 |
| HADS score ≥11 | 2.287 | 0.674 | 11.506 | 0.001 | 9.845 | 2.626–36.909 |
| Irregular sucralfate use | 0.934 | 0.644 | 2.104 | 0.147 | 2.543 | 0.720–8.979 |
| ≥2 missed follow-up appointments | 1.353 | 0.652 | 4.303 | 0.038 | 3.867 | 1.077–13.882 |
| Smoking ≥10 cigarettes/day | 1.108 | 0.652 | 2.887 | 0.089 | 3.028 | 0.844–10.870 |
| Uncontrolled diabetes | 0.636 | 0.649 | 0.961 | 0.327 | 1.889 | 0.530–6.734 |
| Intercept | −6.044 | 1.136 | 28.323 | <0.001 | 0.002 | — |
Table 3: Multivariable logistic regression model for 12-month recurrence after ESD
| Measure | Estimate |
| Recurrence events/total | 22/124 |
| Predictor parameters | 7 |
| Events per parameter | 3.1 |
| Apparent AUC | 0.922 |
| 95% CI | 0.872–0.972 |
| Probability threshold | 0.1484 |
| Sensitivity | 95.45% |
| Specificity | 84.31% |
| Youden index | 0.7977 |
| Hosmer–Lemeshow χ² | 4.358 |
| Hosmer–Lemeshow P value | 0.823 |
| Brier score | 0.088 |
| Bootstrap resamples | 1,000 |
| Estimated optimism | 0.038 |
| Optimism-corrected AUC | 0.884 |
Table 4: Apparent and bootstrap-corrected performance of the seven-variable exploratory recurrence-risk model
| Indicator | Risk-guided group | Routine group | Statistic | P value |
| Age, years | 60.38 ± 6.56 | 61.07 ± 6.09 | t = −0.500 | 0.618 |
| Sex, male/female | 25/17 | 23/19 | χ² = 0.194 | 0.659 |
| BMI, kg/m² | 23.94 ± 2.36 | 23.10 ± 2.49 | t = 1.591 | 0.115 |
| Pathological type, squamous/adenocarcinoma | 11/31 | 14/28 | χ² = 0.513 | 0.474 |
| Lesion size, cm | 1.78 ± 0.47 | 1.66 ± 0.60 | t = 1.053 | 0.295 |
| Differentiation, well/moderate/poor | 18/19/5 | 16/21/5 | χ² = 0.218 | 0.897 |
| Vascular invasion, yes/no | 7/35 | 8/34 | χ² = 0.081 | 0.776 |
| Diabetes, yes/no | 9/33 | 12/30 | χ² = 0.571 | 0.45 |
| Baseline HADS score | 8.45 ± 2.69 | 8.33 ± 2.14 | t = 0.225 | 0.823 |
Table 5: Baseline characteristics of the retrospective comparative cohort
| Outcome | Risk-guided group | Routine group | Effect estimate | p value |
| Overall recurrence | 5/42 (11.90%) | 13/42 (30.95%) | RD, −19.05 percentage points (95% CI, −35.55 to −1.37); RR, 0.38 (0.15–0.98); OR, 0.30 (0.10–0.94) | 0.033 |
| Local recurrence | 2/42 (4.76%) | 8/42 (19.05%) | OR, 0.21 (0.04–1.07) | 0.088 |
| Metachronous cancer | 3/42 (7.14%) | 5/42 (11.90%) | OR, 0.57 (0.13–2.55) | 0.713 |
Table 6: Twelve-month recurrence in the retrospective comparative cohort
| Indicator | Group-by-time χ² | FDR-adjusted p | 12-month OR | 95% CI |
| Dietary compliance | 2.387 | 0.328 | 5.55 | 1.82–16.94 |
| Wound-care execution | 3.158 | 0.328 | 7.22 | 1.90–27.40 |
| Medication adherence | 2.227 | 0.328 | 4.11 | 1.33–12.69 |
| Follow-up adherence | 3.347 | 0.328 | 14.55 | 1.78–118.76 |
Table 7: Nursing compliance during follow-up analyzed using generalized estimating equations
| Indicator | Risk-guided group | Routine group | Mean difference or test | 95% CI/P value |
| Annual examination cost, RMB | 6330.79 ± 1186.52 | 8269.29 ± 1569.26 | −1938.50 | −2533.51 to −1342.91 |
| Annual hospitalizations | 0.76 ± 0.79 | 1.69 ± 1.28 | −0.93 | −1.38 to −0.50 |
| Follow-up time, min | 27.05 ± 5.66 | 39.26 ± 5.96 | −12.21 | −14.67 to −9.83 |
| Satisfaction categories | 34/5/3/0 | 20/10/8/4 | Mann–Whitney U = 1197.0 | P = 0.001 |
| Overall satisfaction | 39/42 (92.86%) | 30/42 (71.43%) | Fisher’s exact test | P = 0.020 |
Table 8: Resource use and nursing satisfaction in the retrospective comparative cohort
Supplementary File 1: Raw patient-level data supporting the model-development and retrospective comparative cohort analyses.Please click here to download this file.