Effect of concurrent high-dose cisplatin chemotherapy and conformal radiotherapy on cervical esophageal cancer survival.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether a change in treatment policy to conformal, elective nodal radiotherapy and concurrent high-dose cisplatin improved survival for cervical esophageal cancer patients.


METHODS
All cervical esophageal cancer patients treated between 1997 and 2005 were restaged (1983 American Joint Committee on Cancer criteria). Patients treated before 2001 (previous cohort [PC]) were compared with those treated from 2001 onward (recent cohort [RC]). The PC institutional chemoradiotherapy protocol was 54 Gy in 20 fractions within 4 weeks, with 5-fluorouracil (1,000 mg/m(2)) on Days 1-4 and either mitomycin C (10 mg/m(2)) or cisplatin (75 mg/m(2)) on Day 1. The RC institutional chemoradiotherapy protocol was conformal radiotherapy, 70 Gy in 35 fractions within 7 weeks, to the primary tumor and elective nodes, with high-dose cisplatin (100 mg/m(2)) on Days 1, 22, and 43.


RESULTS
The median follow-up was 3.1 years (PC, 8.1 and RC, 2.3). Of 71 patients (25 women and 46 men), 21 of 29 in the PC and 29 of 42 in the RC were treated curatively (curative subgroup, n = 50). Between the two groups, no differences in overall survival or locoregional relapse-free survival were seen. The overall survival rate at 2 and 5 years was 35% (range, 24-47%) and 21% (range, 12-32%) in the whole group and 46% (range 32-60%) and 28% (range, 15-42%) in the curative group, respectively. In the curative group, no statistically significant prognostic factors were found. Trends toward better locoregional relapse-free survival were seen in women (2-year rate, 73% vs. for men, 36%; p = 0.08) and in patients aged >64 years (2-year rate, 68% vs. age < or =64 years, 34%; p = 0.10).


CONCLUSIONS
No survival improvement could be demonstrated after changing the treatment policy to high-dose cisplatin-based, conventionally fractionated conformal chemoradiotherapy. Female gender and older age might predict for better outcomes.
Huang
Shao Hui
SH
Radiation Medicine Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Lockwood
Gina
G
Brierley
James
J
Cummings
Bernard
B
Kim
John
J
Wong
Rebecca
R
Bayley
Andrew
A
Ringash
Jolie
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D020266:Radiotherapy, Conformal / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin