A retrospective comparison of clinical outcomes and quality of life measures between definitive chemoradiation alone and radical surgery for clinical stage II-III esophageal carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
This retrospective study was conducted to compare the treatment and quality of life (QOL) results between radical surgery and definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for stage II-III carcinoma of the esophagus.


METHODS
Between 2000 and 2009, 128 consecutive patients were selected for this study in which 72 were treated with definitive CRT and 56 with radical surgery. QOL was assessed using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Esophagus for 51 patients who were free of disease at the time of survey.


RESULTS
With a median follow-up period of 37.8 months with 66 survivors, the 4y-DFS in the surgery group were 36% in the CRT group and 51% in the surgery group (P = 0.0028). In the CRT group, the number of cases of the advanced age, T4 stage, and stage III was significantly larger than the surgery group. QOL assessments were completed at rates of 100% in the CRT group and 88% in the surgery group. Overall E Total score had a significant difference between arms (CRT > surgery, P = 0.045).


CONCLUSIONS
CRT was inferior to surgery in survival but superior in QOL measures, although the CRT group had a larger number of patients with poorer prognostic factors.
Yamashita
Hideomi
H
Department of Radiology, University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. yamashitah-rad@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Okuma
Kae
K
Seto
Yasuyuki
Y
Mori
Kazuhiko
K
Kobayashi
Shino
S
Wakui
Reiko
R
Ohtomo
Kuni
K
Nakagawa
Keiichi
K
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016629:Esophagectomy; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011788:Quality of Life; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; C053989:nedaplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil