title: Squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus: multimodal therapy in locally advanced disease.
abstract: The aim of this prospective study is to report our experience in the multimodal management of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LAESC; stage III cTNM), focusing on the results of chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. These findings were compared to the results of a standard group of patients with locally advanced esophageal carcinoma (LAEC; stage III pTNM) treated in our center with surgery alone. Sixty-one patients with LAESC underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy (5-fluorouracil + cisplatin) with concomitant 45 Gray radiotherapy in a 5-week course. Transthoracic esophagectomy was performed 4 to 5 weeks after the end of the neoadjuvant therapy. Thirty-eight patients underwent surgery, and 37 of them had resections (resectability: 97% in the multimodal group; 84% in the standard surgical series; p = 0.07). The R0 (complete) resection rate was 78% compared to 56% in the standard surgical group (p <0.03). Eleven patients had no residual tumor in the resected specimen (pathologic complete response: pCR: 30%). The operative mortality rate was 19% compared with 8.8% in the standard series. The overall median survival of the resected patients was 21 months, with a 5-year survival rate of 11% (14% in the surgical group; NS). The 3-year and 5-year survival rates were 34% for the pCR group and respectively 5% and 0% for the group with pathologic incomplete response (pIR; p <0.05). The median survival was 28 months for the pCR patients and 19 months for the pIR group. In this non-randomized trial, preoperative chemoradiotherapy in LAESC seems to increase the resectability and R0 resection rates, to allow a higher pCR rate and a longer survival only in the pCR group, at the expense of an inadequate increase in operative mortality. This multimodal treatment cannot be proposed as a standard procedure unless less toxic regimens are developed, increasing the benefits with better local and distant failure control and decreasing operative mortality.
authors.affiliation: Medico-Surgical Department of Gastroenterology-Erasme, 808 Route De Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. ielnakad@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Issam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: El Nakadi
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Van Laethem
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.forename: France
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gay
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Closset
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van Houtte
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danhier
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Limbosch
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lambilliotte
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gelin
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil