Multimodal treatment for squamous cell esophageal cancer

• Published in: World journal of surgery 1995-03, Vol.19 (2), p.198-204
• Main Authors: Fink, U., Stein, H. J., Wilke, H., Roder, J. D., Siewert, J. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Advanced Tumor; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - therapy; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Combine Modality; Combined Modality Therapy; Esophageal Cancer; Esophageal Carcinoma; Esophageal Neoplasms - therapy; Humans; Local Tumor Control; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - therapy; Preoperative Care; Radiotherapy
• ISSN: 0364-2313; 1432-2323
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00308626

Preoperative chemotherapy (CTx) and combination radiochemotherapy (RTx/CTx) in patients with squamous cell esophageal carcinoma has recently received increasing attention. Although several prospective randomized trials could not show any benefit of neoadjuvant therapy in patients with potentially resectable tumors, preoperative CTx and combination RTx/CTx appear to increase the resection rate, the rate of complete tumor resection, and survival time in patients with locally advanced tumors. Most available studies show that a survival benefit from multimodal therapy can be expected primarily in patients who have a complete histopathologic response to preoperative treatment (i.e., no viable tumor in the resected specimen). Preoperative RTx/CTx increases the response rate and improves local tumor control compared to preoperative CTx alone, but it is associated with substantial perioperative mortality and morbidity. Distant tumor recurrences are insufficiently controlled with current combined modality protocols. These data indicate that neoadjuvant therapy must be considered investigational in patients with potentially resectable esophageal carcinoma but may soon become standard in patients with locally advanced tumors. Research must focus on modalities that allow pretherapeutic identification of those patients who will respond to neoadjuvant therapy. Furthermore, more effective and less toxic preoperative therapy regimens are required to increase the response rates and combat systemic recurrences. Finally, randomized prospective studies are essential to assess the role, extent, and timing of surgical resection for the combined modality approach to patients with squamous cell esophageal carcinoma. Résumé L'association chimiothérapie et radiochimiothérapie préopératoire a reçu beaucoup d'attention dernièrement. Alors que plusieurs études prospectives randomisées n'ont pu démontrer les bénéfices d'une thérapeutique néoadjuvante chez des patients ayant une tumeur potentiellement résécable, la chimiothérapie seule ou associée à la radiothérapie préopératoires semble augmenter le taux de résécablitié et la survie chez les patients avant des tumeurs locorégionates. La plupart des études disponibles démontrent une amélioration de survie lorsque la thérapeutique est multimodale, lorsque la réponse histologique initiale à la chimiothérapie préoperatoire est positive, c'est à dire, s'il n'y ait aucune tumeur visible dans la pièce opératoire. La radiochimiothérapie préopé