Clinical effect of preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy plus esophagectomy in treatment of locally advanced esophageal cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the tolerance of preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neoCRT) plus esophagectomy, as well as the short-term outcome, tumor resection rate, incidence of postoperative complications, and perioperative mortality, in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer.Methods This study included 74 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who were admitted to our hospital from May 2011 to June 2015.Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were performed concurrently.The chemotherapy consisted of vinorelbine (25 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 22, and 29) and cisplatin (25 mg/m2 on days 1-4 and 22-25).The radiotherapy was conventionally fractionated with a total dose of 40 Gy (2.0 Gy/d).At 4-8 weeks after chemoradiotherapy, esophagectomy was performed (neoCRT+surgery group);definitive chemoradiotherapy (DCRT) was performed in the patients who refused surgery (DCRT group);follow-up was performed in the patients who refused any anti-cancer therapies after neoCRT (neoCRT group).Results Forty-four patients underwent neoCRT+surgery, with a radical resection (R0) rate of 100% and a pathological complete response (pCR) rate of 43%;17 patients received DCRT;13 patients received neoCRT alone.For the neoCRT+surgery group, DCRT group, and neoCRT group, the 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 79%, 75%, and 17%, respectively, and the 2-year disease-free survival (DSF) rates were 75%, 55%, and 17%, respectively.There were significant differences in OS between the neoCRT group and the neoCRT+surgery group (P=0.000) and between the neoCRT group and the DCRT group (P=0.001), but no significant difference was observed between the neoCRT+surgery group and the DCRT group (P=0.415).There were significant differences in DFS between the neoCRT group and the neoCRT+surgery group (P=0.000) and between the neoCRT group and the DCRT group (P=0.002), but no significant difference was observed between the neoCRT+surgery group and the DCRT group (P=0.416).The rate of clinical response to preoperative neoCRT was 87% for all patients.Fifty-six patients (76%) developed grade ≥3 myelosuppression due to preoperative neoCRT.The incidence rates of postoperative pulmonary infection, anastomotic leakage, and anastomotic stenosis were 21%, 12%, and 7%, respectively, and the perioperative mortality rate was 2%.Conclusions For patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer, preoperative neoCRT plus surgery can increase the clinical response rate and pCR rate, reduce the tumor stage, and improve the survival, but chemoradiotherapy toxicities and perioperative complications cannot be ignored.