title: Patterns of treatment failure and prognostic factors associated with the treatment of esophageal carcinoma with chemotherapy and radiotherapy either as sole treatment or followed by surgery .
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The records of patients with esophageal cancer who were treated with a combined modality therapy were reviewed to determine the effects of simultaneously administered chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT) at sites of recurrence and the relationship between treatment outcome and clinicopathologic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventeen patients were treated with fluorouracil (800 mg/m2) [corrected] and cisplatin (80 mg/m2) combined with either 36 Gy (36 patients) or 54 to 60 Gy (35 patients) of RT as sole therapy. Forty-six patients underwent surgery after they had received chemotherapy and 36 Gy of RT as initial treatment. Patients with either squamous cell cancer (SCC) or adenocarcinoma were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete endoscopic regression after an initial 36 Gy of RT and chemotherapy occurred in more than 50% of patients and in both tumor types. Relief of dysphagia accompanied tumor regression. Forty-two tumors were resected, and 11 showed a complete histologic response. Significant associations were demonstrated between enhanced survival and a diagnosis of SCC, a complete endoscopic response to initial chemotherapy and RT, and a tumor length of less than 5 cm. Multivariate analyses suggested that tumor length and complete endoscopic response were independent prognostic variables. The survival rate of patients treated by resection or radical-dosage RT was not significantly different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relief of dysphagia demonstrates the palliative value of chemotherapy and RT in both tumor types. The similar survival rates of patients with SCC or adenocarcinoma treated either surgically or with high-dose combined therapy (54 to 60 Gy) emphasize the need to evaluate the role of surgery and combined treatment in randomized studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, South Australia.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Denham
authors.forename: G G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Devitt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yeoh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Olweny
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004945:Esophagoscopy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil