title: Induction therapy for squamous carcinoma of thoracic esophagus.
abstract: From June 1987 to March 1992, 70 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus were entered into a treatment protocol that included a preoperative course of radiotherapy (3,000 cGy) and chemotherapy (cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil). The preoperative therapy was well tolerated. Forty-nine of these patients underwent esophageal resection (total or subtotal) and 6 patients died subsequently (12.2%). The morbidity was not dramatically affected by preoperative treatment. Histopathologic studies showed no residual disease in the resected specimen of 11 patients (19.2%), only some residual microscopic clusters of neoplastic cells in 8 patients (14%) and macroscopic cancer in the remaining patients (66.8%). The estimated overall Kaplan-Meier survival at 1, 2, and 3 years was 53.6%, 28.6%, and 21.5%, respectively. Our study, like other reports, demonstrates an improved survival in the group of patients who had a complete response after radiotherapy or chemotherapy (p = 0.002). Moreover, the lack of diagnostic procedures to evaluate the presence of residual tumor after radiotherapy and chemotherapy, suggests that only surgical resection can provide an accurate prognostic information and a complete treatment.
authors.affiliation: First Department of General Surgery, University of Verona, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Laterza
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Griso
authors.forename: U S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Urso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: dè Manzoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malagò
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliani
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cordiano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015996:Survival Rate