title: Adjuvant chemotherapy in esophageal cancer.
abstract: Esophageal cancer with high incidence and mortality rates plays a major clinical and social role. Adjuvant radiotherapy, chemotherapy and combined chemoradiation are used for esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy. Outcomes of these approaches are analyzed in the literature. Three randomized clinical trials and three retrospective series were reviewed; they provided a representative pattern of available data. From their analysis some critical aspects emerged in relation to the statistical design of the few, now available randomized clinical trials. The number of patients enrolled is too low to verify minimal improvements in outcomes. Therefore, to-date there is not definite evidence in the literature supporting the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale e Patologia, Oncologia Medica, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Picone
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Auria
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferraldeschi
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grande
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Passeri
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranuncoli
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Bartolomeo
authors.forename: Maria Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Evangelista
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cortesi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents