[Induction treatment of locally advanced operable cancers of the esophagus. Prognostic significance of the histologic response].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of the histopathological response to preoperative radio-chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced oesophageal cancer.


METHODS
Among the 57 patients included in this open prospective study, the disease-free survival of 48 patients (8 females 40 males; mean age: 56.6 years +/- 8.4) who underwent an oesophagectomy after induction therapy for oesophageal squamous cell (n = 38) or adenocarcinoma (n = 10) was correlated with the histopathological findings. Chemoradiation included 2 cycles associating continuous 5 FU from D1 to 5 and from D22 to 26, cisplatyl on D1 and D22, 15 Gy/5d from D1 to 5 and from D22 to 26. Histopathological response was assessed on the operative specimens by routine examination of serial thin sections each 5 mm along the full oesophageal length, the resection margins and the lymph node dissection.


RESULTS
A wide interindividual variability was seen regarding tissue changes related to induction therapy, with a grading in tumor regression and the possibility of dissociated effects on the various treatment targets: tumor, adenopathy and vessel invasion. The 5-year probability of disease-free survival was 22% for the 48 resected patients. The presence of a complete histopathological response (n = 12) did not preclude metastatic spread in half the cases. Furthermore, it did not result in improved survival when compared to that of non-responder patients. Survival of patients who had a complete or major oesophageal response (n = 29, 35% at 5 years) was significantly lower than that of patients who were operated on during the same period for a superficial oesophageal cancer at presentation (n = 29, 57% at 5 years; P = 0.03). After multivariate analysis according to the Cox model, downstaging of the primary tumor was not identified as an independent predictor of disease-free survival.


CONCLUSIONS
Pathologic assessment of tumor regression on the operative specimen provides little prognostic information.
Thomas
P
P
Service de Chirurgie Thoracique, Hôpital Sainte Marguerite, Marseille.
Doddoli
C
C
Giacoia
A
A
Garbe
L
L
Perrier
H
H
Giovannini
M
M
Seitz
J F
JF
Hannoun-Levi
J M
JM
Giudicelli
R
R
Fuentes
P
P
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies