title: Clinical outcomes of radiotherapy for esophageal cancer between 2004 and 2008: the second survey of the Japanese Radiation Oncology Study Group (JROSG).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This second questionnaire-based survey was performed to determine the clinical results of definitive esophageal cancer treatment with radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) between 2004 and 2008.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical results of definitive RT for patients were collected from major Japanese institutions. Patients were classified into three groups: (A) stage I, (B) resectable stages II-III, (C) unresectable stages III-IVA. For group A, all patients treated with RT alone or CRT were included. For groups B and C, only those treated with CRT were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 990 patients (group A 259, group B 333, group C 398 patients) were included from 11 institutions. In group A, 199 patients (78 %) were treated with CRT, and 60 patients (23 %) received RT alone. In groups B and C, 420 patients (57 %) were treated with full-dose cisplatin/5-FU, and 181 patients (25 %) with low-dose protracted-infusion cisplatin/5-FU. The median and range of the 5-year overall survival rate were 73 % (40-94 %) for group A, 40 % (0-57 %) for group B, and 18 % (6-26 %) for group C, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rates were consistently good for five high-volume centers where more than 20 patients/year with esophageal cancer were treated definitively as compared with the remaining six medium-volume centers (5-15 patients/year). The median and range of the incidence of grade ≥3 late toxicities were 10 % and 6-22 %, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A wide disparity in 5-year overall survival rates among the institutions was still apparent in the second survey for groups A and B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-Higashi, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, 589-8511, Japan. ynishi@med.kindai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yasumasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8574, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jingu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology and Image-Applied Therapy, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Itasaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Tenri Hospital, Tenri, Nara, 632-8552, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Negoro
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Oncology, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center, Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, 113-8677, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karasawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, 951-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Isohashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 105-8471, Japan.
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, 466-8550, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, 903-0215, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ariga
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018787:Radiation Oncology; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002945:Cisplatin; D005472:Fluorouracil
keywords: Chemoradiation therapy; Clinical outcome; Esophageal cancer; National survey