Research advances in postoperative radiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

ABSTRACT

Surgery remains an important therapeutic method for localized esophageal cancer, but the 5?year survival rate of patients undergoing surgical resection alone is only 20%?25%. Early studies show that postoperative radiotherapy reduced regional recurrence rate, but did not increase the survival rate. Most recent studies show that stage Ⅲ or lymph node?positive patients can obtain survival benefit from postoperative radiotherapy, and patients in pT2?3 N0 M0 stage may also benefit from postoperative radiotherapy. The recommended radiotherapy target volumes include bilateral supraclavicular areas, superior mediastinum, subcarinal area, and tumor bed. It is recommended in most studies that regional lymph nodes in the upper abdomen should be included in patients with lower?segment lesions. The locally advanced patients may benefit more from postoperative radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy. The significance of postoperative radiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, target volume design, and combined chemotherapy need individualized consideration and more clinical evidence.