title: Impact of docetaxel in addition to cisplatin and fluorouracil as neoadjuvant treatment for resectable stage III or T3 esophageal cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of addition of docetaxel to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) with cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (CF) in patients with clinical stage III or T3 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information about 209 esophageal cancer patients with stage III or T3 disease, who underwent NAC consisting of CF with or without docetaxel, was reviewed. The survival outcomes were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and propensity score-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. The relevant variables were included in the propensity score model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NAC was administered to 149 patients in the CF group and 60 patients in the docetaxel plus CF (DCF) group. Overall, 129 patients treated with CF and 58 patients treated with DCF underwent surgery after NAC. The overall response rate was significantly higher in the DCF group compared with the CF group (61.0 vs. 43.2 %, p = 0.021). After matching, recurrence-free survival did not differ statistically between the CF and DCF groups [hazard ratio (HR) 0.83, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.50-1.37, p = 0.46]. After matching, the improvement in overall survival in the DCF group reached statistical significance (HR 0.49, 95 % CI 0.24-0.999, p = 0.050). No significant differences in rate of locoregional or distant recurrences were observed between the CF and DCF groups (53.0 vs. 48.3 %, p = 0.54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NAC with DCF is superior to CF in patients with clinical stage III or T3 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, 1-1 Kanokoden Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8681, Japan, excell@hkg.odn.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Motoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Oze
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abe
authors.forename: Azusa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komori
authors.forename: Yukiya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Narita
authors.forename: Toshiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuishi
authors.forename: Hiroya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Shigenori
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kadowaki
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ura
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andoh
authors.forename: Ryosuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kawai
authors.forename: Norihisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tajika
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niwa
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muro
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D057216:Propensity Score; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil