title: Multidisciplinary treatment of advanced cancer of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction: a European center's approach.
abstract: Tremendous progress has been made in surgery for cancer of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction. After primary surgery, overall 5-year survival rates of 35% or more are obtained in high-volume units, and for advanced stage III cancer, 5-year survival reaches 25%. Multimodality therapy, in particular induction chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy, results in a complete response rate in up to 25% of the patients. Approximately 50% of the patients receiving such treatment do not respond, however, and their outcome is dismal. Therefore, further efforts are needed to elaborate more precise algorithms for selecting candidates for induction therapy versus primary surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. toni.lerut@uzleuven.be
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lerut
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moons
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Coosemans
authors.forename: Herbert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Decaluwé
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Leyn
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nafteux
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Raemdonck
mesh_terms: D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D004943:Esophagogastric Junction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010348:Patient Care Team; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*