The experience of concurrent chemoradiation for Japanese patients with superficial esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the treatment outcome of concurrent chemoradiation therapy (cCRT) for 13 clinically confirmed T1 esophageal cancer patients.


METHODS
Between June 2000 and February 2004, patients with T1 esophageal cancer (tumor invading lamina propria or submucosa) received cCRT (50.4 Gy; CDDP: 75 mg/m2, day 1, bolus; 5-FU: 1000 mg/m2, days 1 to 4, continuous) (n = 13, T1 group). This treatment regimen was compared with the following 2 other groups treated during the same period: one was treated with radiation therapy alone for T1 disease (n = 5, RT-alone group); and the other group of patients consisted of those with T2 disease (tumor invading muscularis propria) who received the same cCRT regimen as the first T1 group (n = 9, T2 group).


RESULTS
The overall survival rates at 1 and 3 years were in the T1 group, 75% and 75%; in the T2 group, 75% and 45% (P =0.2890); and in the RT-alone group, 60% and 40% (P = 0.2978). No treatment-related mortalities occurred in the T1 and RT-alone groups, but one patient in the T2 group died of radiation-induced pneumonitis.


CONCLUSIONS
Although this study was not randomized, the results showed that cCRT is a safe and effective method for treating patients with superficial esophageal cancer.
Yamashita
Hideomi
H
Department of Radiology, University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. yamashitah-RAD@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Nakagawa
Keiichi
K
Tago
Masao
M
Igaki
Hiroshi
H
Nakamura
Naoki
N
Shiraishi
Kenshiro
K
Sasano
Nakashi
N
Ohtomo
Kuni
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000401:mortality; D017564:Radiation Pneumonitis / Q000209:etiology; D011882:Radiotherapy, High-Energy / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil