title: Cocktail without hangover: in search for the optimal chemotherapy in the combined management of non-operable esophageal carcinomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The worldwide incidence of esophageal cancer has greatly increased over the past few decades making it the sixth deadliest cancer. The disease is often detected in advanced stages when surgery is no longer an option. The standard treatment in these situations is combined chemoradiotherapy, by employing drug cocktails that lead to optimal treatment outcomes both from the perspective of tumor control and normal tissue toxicity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of this work was to collate the existing trials and clinical studies reported on non-operable esophageal cancer and to analyze the results based on treatment outcomes after various drug combinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of all drug combinations, cisplatin/5-FU is the most well established chemotherapy regimen for esophageal cancer as both neoadjuvant therapy, an alternative option to surgery, and for palliative purposes. Although this regimen is associated with the most toxicity, it also appears to have the best survival benefit and relief of symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More research is warranted to further increase the therapeutic ratio in non-operable esophageal cancers.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine , University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.|b School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: So
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , University of Oradea , Oradea , Romania.|d School of Physical Sciences , University of Adelaide , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Loredana G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Marcu
authors.affiliation: e Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Olver
authors.affiliation: f Department of Radiation Oncology , Royal Adelaide Hospital , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Raghu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gowda
authors.affiliation: b School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia , Adelaide , Australia.|c Department of Physics, Faculty of Science , University of Oradea , Oradea , Romania.|e Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bezak
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D011379:Prognosis