title: Adjuvant postoperative radiation therapy after curative resection of squamous cell carcinoma of the thoracic esophagus: a prospective randomized study.
abstract: Postoperative radiation therapy following curative resection of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus was investigated in a prospective randomized study. A group of 33 patients received postoperative radiation therapy and were compared to a control group of 35 patients treated by surgery alone. No statistically significant differences were noted between the two treatment groups concerning overall and disease-free survival rates. Postoperative irradiation significantly increased the incidence of fibrotic strictures of the esophagogastric or esophagocolonic anastomoses and caused a delayed recovery of patients quality of life. Based on these results, we believe that postoperative radiation therapy alone cannot be advocated as a adjuvant therapy following curative resection of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Charité, Hamboldt University of Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: H U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Zieren
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Jacobi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pichlmaier
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Staar
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects; D015996:Survival Rate