title: Neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer--what can we accept?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated neoadjuvant use in managing patients with esophageal carcinoma and its effects on the surgical resection and outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients prior to esophageal resection were offered the opportunity to receive a neoadjuvant cytostatic regimen (CDDP + FU, CDDP, or TAX + FU). Retrospective tumor chemoresistance analysis using the MTT test was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy patients were operated from 2001 until May 2004. A total of 55 resections were performed with preoperative neoadjuvant therapy and 15 elected to only undergo surgery without neoadjuvant therapy. No deaths occurred as a result of surgery or neoadjuvant therapy, but complications included fistulas and hemorrhages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no significant difference between the postoperative complications among the neoadjuvant and non-neoadjuvant groups. This therapy therefore does not have any influence on the course or results of surgical resection. MTT testing did not demonstrate any particular usefulness in tailoring neoadjuvant therapy. Chemoresistance could only be retrospectively evaluated and the results may be affected after cytostatic therapy. The long-term outcomes have not been evaluated yet due to the short follow-up time in our patient group.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Surgery, Palacky University Teaching Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic. vladimirkral@fnol.cz
authors.forename: Vladimír
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krdál
authors.forename: Cestmír
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neoral
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aujesky
authors.forename: Roman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Havlík
authors.forename: Jirí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hajdúch
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Svébisová
authors.forename: Petr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Benes
authors.forename: Radek
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vrba
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil