Background: Chemoradiotherapy (CR) and hyperthermochemoradiotherapy (HCR) have been performed on numerous patients with esophageal cancer. These neoadjuvant therapies for esophageal cancer are done widely. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the recent advances in surgical and oncological treatment.
Methods: From 1967 to 2000, 847 patients who underwent an esophagectomy were classified into 4 groups according to the date of operation. Group 1 consisted of 110 patients who underwent an esophagectomy in the first 10-year period (1967-1976), group 2 consisted of 194 patients who had operations from 1977 to 1986, group 3 comprised 400 patients who had operations from 1987 to 1996, and group 4 comprised 143 patients who had operations from 1997 to 2000. From 1967 to 2000, 322 patients with neoadjuvant therapy and esophagectomy were classified into 6 groups according to the kinds of anticancer drugs that were administered. Group A received regimen A, using BLM (5 mg iv) 6 times as the chemotherapeutic drug in the early period (1965-1990); group B received regimen B, using cis-diaminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) (40 mg/m2) 3 times as the chemotherapeutic drug in the second period (1990-1997); and group C received regimen C, using CDDP (40 mg/m2) and 5FU (250 mg/m2) daily in the most recent period (1997-2000). The HCR group was also divided into the following 3 groups: Group D, who received regimen A and hyperthermia 6 times in the early period; group E, who received regimen B and hyperthermia 6 times in the next period; and group F, who received regimen C and hyperthermia 6 times in the most recent period. The local response and the long-term results were investigated.
Results: A complete removal of the primary tumor was achieved in 29%, 39%, 62%, and 68% of the patients in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The 30-day operative mortality rates were 11%, 4%, 1%, and 0% in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The 5-year survival rates for all patients in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 16.7%, 19.2%, and 44.4%, respectively. The cases in which CR or HCR was evaluated to be effective numbered 44 (48.4%) in group A, 22 (73.3%) in group B, 8 (66.7%) in group C, 79 (63.7%) in group D, 36 (73.5%) in group E, and 12 (75.0%) in group F. Our clinical results thus showed CDDP to have a greater effect than BLM, while HCR was shown to have a greater effect than CR.
Conclusions: Preoperative therapy, especially using CDDP and hyperthermia, has improved thanks to recent advances in the treatment of esophageal cancer.