ABSTRACT
Objective To retrospectively analyze the treatment results and side effects of postoperative chemoradiotherapy and postoperative radiotherapy of thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (EPC) with positive lymph nodes.Methods Three hundred and four patients of thoracic EPC were initially treated with three-field lymphadenectomy, with pathological positive lymph nodes and without distant metastases;and randomly divided into two groups:140 patients of the simple postoperative radiotherapy (RT) and 164 patients of postoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT).The median total dose was 50 Gy.The regimen of concurrent chemotherapy included cisplatin and taxol, and the intermission was 21 days;the median cycles were 2.35.Results The 3-year overall survival rates were 65.7% of CRT and 52.8% of RT (χ2=6.90,P=0.009), and The 3-year disease-free survival rates were 62.5% of CRT and 52.8% of RT (χ2=4.75,P=0.029).The incidences of the supraclavicular lymph-node metastases were 1.8% and 7.1%(χ2=5.21,P=0.022), respectively;and the incidences of distant metastases were 18.3% and 27.9%(χ2=3.94,P=0.047), respectively;and the incidences of overall metastases and recurrences were 27.4% and 39.3%(χ2=4.80,P=0.028), respectively.Early side effects included granulopenia (96.3% and 32.1%,χ2=140.31,P=0.000), radiation-induced esophagitis (37.2% and 26.4%,χ2=4.01,P=0.045),and gastrointestinal toxicity (23.2% and 5.0%,χ2=19.77,P=0.000).Late side effects were 6.1% and 5.0%(χ2=0.17,P=0.678), respectively.Conclusions Postoperative chemoradiotherapy of thoracic EPC with positive lymph nodes can improve the overall survival and disease-free survival, decrease the incidence of the supraclavicular metastases, the distant metastases, the total metastases and recurrences.More severe early side effects were observed in chemoradiotherapy than in the radiotherapy group,but well tolerated.
ABSTRACT
Objective To analyze the relationship between the number as well as distributions of positive lymph nodes, and the clinical outcomes of postoperative radiotherapy for thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC) , And to evaluate the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy . Methods From January 1993 to March 2007,945 patients with TESCC treated with three-field lymphadenectomy were involved in this study. All patients were with lymphoid metastasis but without distant metastasis. Among them, 590 patients received surgery alone and the other 355 received surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy. The radiotherapy were begun in the third or fourth week after operation and the median total radiation dose was 50 Gy in 25 fractions of 2 Gy, 5 fractions per week. Results The follow-up rate was 94.5%. 189 patients finished minimal follow-up of five years. The 5-year survival rates in the surgery alone group and in the postoperative radiotherapy group were 29.6% and 38.0%, respectively (χ~2 = 10.44 ,P = 0.001). In stratification analysis, compared with the surgery alone, postoperative radiotherapy could increase the 5-year survival rate of the patients with 3 to 5 (30.5% : 23.1%, χ~2 = 4.11, P = 0.043) or > 5 positive nodes (16.7% : 8.9%, χ~2= 6.87, P= 0.009) , or metastastatic node in the region of supraclavicular or upper mediastinum (45.5% : 34.9%, χ~2= 5.37, P = 0.020). In patients with positive nodes number less than 3, or with medium mediastinum or lower mediastinum lymph nodes metastasis, postoperative radiotherapy could not increase the 5-year survival rates (50.7% : 41.2%, χ~2 = 3.30, P = 0.069 ; 32.0% : 27.7% , χ~2= 2.22 , P = 0. 137) , Though could decrease lymph nodes metastasis in supraclavicular and medium-upper mediastinum (15 : 76, χ~2 = 18.10, P = 0.000; 18 : 97, χ~2= 26.81, P = 0.000). Conclusions In TESCC patients with positive lymph nodes number ≥3 or nodes in the region of supraclavicular and upper mediastinum, postoperative radiotherapy can improve the survival after three field lymphadenectomy. And the rate of metastastatic lymph nodes in the supraclavicular region or upper-medium mediastinum can also be decreased.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the value of postoperative prophylactic radiotherapy for N0 e-sophageal squamous carcinoma. Methods From January 1993 to December 2006,859 patients with patho-logically staged N0 and M0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were included in this study. Among them, 760 received surgery alone, and 99 received surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy. Radiotherapy started within 3 to 4 weeks after surgery. The median total dose was 50 Gy(2 Gy/F,5 F/w). Results In surgery alone group and postoperative radiotherapy group,the 5-yeur overall survival rotes were 72.2% vs 77.4% (X2 =0. 13,P >0.05) for all patients,34.6% vs67.1% (X2 =7.72,P <0.05) forpT4 disease,and 70.2% vs 81.3% (X2 =4.01 ,P <0.05) for tumor length >5 cm. Postoperative radiotherapy could lower the recurrence rate for pT4 patients. Conclusions For patients with NO esophageal squamous carcinoma, postoperative radiotherapy can significantly improve the survival for pT4 and tumor length > 5 cm,and also re-duce the recurrence for pT4 patients.