Combined modality treatment of stage II-III esophageal cancer: a single center experience

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to analyze effi cacy and tolerability of combined modality treatment including preoperative chemotherapy with gemcitabine/cisplatin in patients with stage II-III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.Materials and methods. The study included 70 patients with stage II-III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. All patients were divided into two groups. Group I (study group) consisted of 35 patients, who received 2 courses of preoperative chemotherapy followed by radical surgery. Group II (control group) comprised 35 patients who underwent surgery alone. The 2-year survival rates were analyzed.Results. Combined modality treatment including preoperative chemotherapy with gemcitabine/cisplatin was well tolerated. The 2-year disease-free survival rates were 71.8% and 39.4% in groups I and II, respectively (р<0.05). The overall 2-year survival rate was 81.3% in patients who received chemotherapy followed by surgery and 51.5% in patients who underwent surgery alone (р<0.05). Conclusion.Compared to surgery alone, combined modality treatment including preoperative chemotherapy with gemcitabine/cisplatin signifi cantly reduced the frequency of local recurrence and distant metastases and increased 2-year survival rate in patients with stage II-III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, including the presence of unfavorable prognostic factors, such as regional lymph node metastases (N+) and high-grade (G3) squamous cell carcinoma.