Long-term outcome of mitomycin C- and 5-FU-based primary radiochemotherapy for esophageal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
For definitive radiochemotherapy, 5-fluorouracil/cisplatin protocols have been considered the standard of care for esophageal carcinoma over the last 2 decades. By contrast, most patients treated at the University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, received 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin C. The objective of this retrospective analysis was to determine the value of 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin-C-based therapy.


METHODS
Tumor stage, treatment received, and outcome data of patients treated for esophageal cancer between 1982 and 2007 were collected; endpoint of the analysis was overall survival.


RESULTS
298 patients with inoperable cancer of the esophagus were identified (16.8% adenocarcinoma, 77.5% squamous cell carcinoma). At diagnosis, 61.7% (184/298) had UICC stage III-IV, 54.4% (162/298) positive lymph nodes, and 26.5% (79/298) metastatic disease. 74.5% of all patients (222/298) received radiation doses between 55 and 65 Gy, 65.8% (196/298) were subjected to concomitant chemotherapy. The median follow-up period (patients alive) was 4.1 years. A significant increase of overall survival (p < 0.0001) in the radiochemotherapy versus the radiotherapy-alone group was observed. 52% (102/196) in the 5-fluorouracil/ mitomycin C group had tumor stages comparable to the RTOG 85-01 study cohort (T1-3 N0-1 M0). The median survival in this subgroup was 18.2 months, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 22.7% (21/102) and 15.0% (13/102), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite being nominally inferior to platinum-based radiochemotherapy, the overall survival rates are in a similar range. Thus, the mitomycin-C-based radiochemotherapy approach may considered to be as effective as the standard therapy. However, there is no randomized trial available in order to prove the equality.
Wolf
Maria
M
Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Munich, LMU, Munich, Germany. Maria.Wolf@med.uni-muenchen.de
Zehentmayr
Franz
F
Niyazi
Maximilian
M
Ganswindt
Ute
U
Haimerl
Wolfgang
W
Schmidt
Michael
M
Hölzel
Dieter
D
Belka
Claus
C
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D011880:Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
D016685:Mitomycin; D005472:Fluorouracil