title: Salvage esophagectomy after unsuccessful curative chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell cancer of the esophagus.
abstract: Surgery was performed on 6 patients after unsuccessful chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell cancer of the esophagus. The operation was very difficult due to post-irradiation sequelae in 5. The postoperative period was uneventful in 4 patients. Median intensive care unit stay and hospitalization were 5 and 47 days, respectively. Survival after surgery reached 44 months in 1 patient (59 months after diagnosis). Outcome was better in patients who had surgery after recurrence rather than after nonresponse to chemoradiotherapy. Salvage esophagectomy can be beneficial, in selected patients, after unsuccessful chemoradiotherapy for cancer of the esophagus by providing longer survival and better quality of life despite operative and postoperative morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Surgery and Transplantation, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Rennes, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Raoul
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Le Prisé
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lakéhal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Launois
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016629:Esophagectomy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D017211:Treatment Failure